ACCRINGTON STANLEY WOMEN FOOTBALL
CLUB CONSTITUTION
1. TITLE
a. The Club shall be known as Accrington Stanley Women Football Club.
b. The name of the sanctioning authority/affiliated association within this constitution shall be known as the Lancashire FA.
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Club shall be:
a. To encourage the practice, promotion, development, and participation of amateur football for women and girls in the Accrington and wider community.
b. To provide training and coaching for members.
c. To organise football matches for members.
d. To organise teams to represent the Club in leagues, cups tournaments and friendlies and in such other competitions as the Committee shall decide.
e. The Club shall seek to be affiliated to the relevant sanctioning authority as the Committee considers appropriate in order to carry out the objectives of the Club.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a. Membership of the Club shall be open to persons who are amateurs regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, Player membership is available to women and girls only however participation in the running of the club (non-player membership) is open to all sexes (women, men or non-binary).
b. Limitation of player membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non- discriminatory basis.
c. Player memberships will require a monthly subscription at a fee set by the clubs management committee.
d. Non player memberships will not require a subscription as they are offered to volunteers who wish to participate in running the club (coaching, training, safeguarding, management and administration)
e. Player membership applications can be requested from the club secretary. Expressions of interest to play with the club can be made via our website www.aswomen.org.
f. Non-player membership applications can be requested from the club Chair. Expressions of interest to be involved as a volunteer can be made via our website www.aswomen.org.
g. Honorary life membership of the Club may be conferred upon any member by a majority vote of those present at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in recognition of someone who has performed an outstanding service, or who has made an outstanding contribution to the Club.
h. Any player member wishing to resign from the Club must do so in writing or by email to the club secretary.
i. Any non-player members should notify the Chair of the club if they wish to resign.
j. Resignation shall be considered by the Committee within one calendar month of receipt and will be held as effective from the date of tendering. Resignations will not be accepted if the member is financially indebted to the Club, i.e. has not paid their subscription for the current season and acceptance of the resignation will be withheld until the debt has been discharged.
k. The Committee (or sub-committee as given authority to) shall have the power to suspend or exclude any member for contravention of this Constitution, documented rules or published codes of conduct that may exist at that time. In exercising these powers, the Committee (or sub-committee as given authority to) shall adhere to the Club’s disciplinary procedures. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.
l. Committee members have a voting right within matters relating to the club rules and are required to attend relevant meetings as detailed within this constitution
m. Player Members hold no voting authority withing the club – A player member is one whom has completed the required registration documents.
4. SUBSCRIPTIONS (Player Members Only)
a. Monthly subscriptions shall become due for payment on either the first of every month via Team Fee Pay (Debit/Credit Card). These will be payable across all 12 months of the calendar year.
b. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
c. A monthly fee payable by each member shall be determined from time to time by the Club and set at a level that will not pose a significant obstacle to community participation. Any fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership and monthly by each member. Fees shall not be repayable.
d. The Club shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.
e. Any member having difficulty paying subscriptions are encouraged to let management know so that arrangements can be put in place to allow the member to participate in the club fully without having to worry about subscriptions.
f. Members who have siblings who are existing members of the club will qualify for reduced rates of subscription fees. This is aimed at making participation as a player at the club more accessible to households with more than one girl.
g. In the event of a member’s resignation or expulsion, his or her name will be removed from the Membership register. A member whose annual membership fee or monthly subscription is more than two (2) months in arrears will be assumed to have resigned.
h. The Club Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the club for them to remain a member.
i. A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any of the club’s property.
5. MANGEMENT
a. The Club Management Committee shall consist of the following club officers: - Chairperson, Vice Chair, Secretary, Club Welfare Officer, Treasurer.
b. Each Club Officer and Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting. One person may not hold any more than two positions of Club officer at any one time. The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the Club affairs. Decisions of the Club Committee shall be made by a simple majority vote of those attending the Club Committee Meeting. The Chairperson of the Club Committee meeting shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie. Meetings of the club committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson or in their absence the appointed deputy. The quorum for the transaction of business of the club committee shall be three.
c. Decisions of the Club Committee of meetings shall be entered into the Clubs minute book which will be maintained by the Club Secretary.
d. Any Member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving no less than 7 days notice to all members of the Club Committee. The Club Committee shall hold no less than 4 meetings per year.
e. An out-going member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. A member proposed by one and seconded by another of the remaining Club Committee members and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Committee members shall fill any vacancy on the Club Committee, which arises between Annual General Meetings.
f. Save as provided for in the Rules & Regulations of The Football Association and the Lancashire County FA to which Accrington Stanley Women FC is affiliated; the Club Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issues concerning the Club rules
g. The position of a Club Officer shall be vacated if such person is subject to a decision of The FA that such person be suspended from holding office or from taking part in any football activity relating to the administration or management of a football club.
h. The Club Welfare Officer will sit upon the committee as a standing member.
i. The Management Committee may appoint sub-committees and delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary. The decisions of all sub-committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification. The Management Committee shall have power to deal only with matters within the Competition and not for any matters of misconduct that are under the jurisdiction of The FA or Affiliated Association.
6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in each year to:
Receive a report of the activities of the club over the previous year.
Receive a report of the clubs finances over the previous year.
Elect the members of the Club Committee.
Consider any other business.
b. Nominations for elections of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club Committee shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder, both whom must be existing members of the Club, to the Club Secretary no less than 21 days before the AGM. Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary no less than 21 days before the meeting.
c. A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the committee and shall be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Club Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by no less than five members stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an SGM may be any business transacted at an AGM.
d. The Secretary shall send to each relevant member written notice of the date of a General Meeting together with resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the meeting.
e. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be four.
f. The Chairperson or in their absence a member selected by the Club Committee shall take the Chair. Each member present shall have one vote and a simple majority shall pass resolutions. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the meeting shall have the casting vote.
g. At its first meeting following each AGM the club committee shall appoint a club member to be responsible for each of the clubs football teams. The appointed members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team. The appointed members shall present a report of the activities of the team at club meetings if requested by the Committee.
7. PROPERTY AND FUNDS
a. The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members other than as reasonably allowed by the Rules and all surplus income or profits are reinvested in the Club.
b. The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, travel expenses and other ordinary benefits of a Grassroots Sports Clubs.
c. Indemnify the Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).
d. The Committee will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child protection.
e. The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:
Sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment.
Employ members and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present.
Pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting guests.
8. WINDING UP
a. The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting. The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.
b. After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
To another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
To another Club with similar sports purposes which is registered with the FA and/or
To the Club’s national governing bodies for use by them for related community sports.
9. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
The Constitution may be altered but only by a resolution passed by two-thirds of those present and voting at an AGM or an EGM called for that purpose.
11. PRIORITY
a. Interpretation of all the above rules must be consistent with the statutory requirements for a Grassroots Clubs as Set out by The FA.
12. REVISION HISTORY
a. This Constitution was annually adopted at the 2026 AGM held on 27/07/2026
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
STATEMENT OF INTENT
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our members, so they can participate in football in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Accrington Stanley Women Football Club. If bullying does occur, all club members and parents/carers should be able to tell their club about this and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the club. We are a TELLING club. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the Club Welfare Officer or any committee member. Accrington Stanley Football Club is committed to playing its part to teach players to treat each other with respect.
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face-to-face or through cyberspace and comes in many different forms: Verbal: Name calling, persistent teasing, mocking, taunting and threats. Physical: Any form of physical violence, intimidating behaviour, theft or the intentional damage of possessions. This includes hitting, kicking and pushing. Emotional: Excluding, tormenting, ridiculing, humiliation, setting people up and spreading rumours. Cyberbullying: The misuse of digital technologies or communications to bully a person or a group, typically through messages or actions that are threatening and/or intended to cause offence, anxiety or humiliation. Examples of cyberbullying include:
Abusive comments, rumours, gossip and threats made using digital communications and/ or technologies - this includes internet trolling.
Sharing pictures, videos or personal information without the consent of the owner and with the intent to cause harm or humiliation.
Hacking into someone's email, phone or online profiles to extract and share personal information, or to send hurtful content while posing as that person.
Creating dedicated websites that intend to harm, make fun of someone or spread malicious rumours.
Pressurising someone to do something they do not want to such as sending a sexually explicit image.
Accrington Stanley Women Football Club commits to ensure our policies are being used appropriately and any online bullying will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately in line with procedures detailed in this policy. People can be targeted for any reason, but people who bully others often target 'difference' and bullying can be a form of wider discrimination. For example, bullying behaviour may be:
Racist: Targeted at ethnicity, skin colour, and language, religious or cultural practices.
Homophobic, biphobic and/or transphobic: Targeted at actual or perceived sexuality and/or gender.
Sexual and/or sexist: Sexual and/or sexist behaviour that is intended to cause offence, humiliation or intimidation.
Disablist: Targeted at an impairment or special educational need.
Targeting any 'difference': Bullying behaviour can also be targeted at 'looks', weight and height, colour of hair, wearing glasses or braces, acne, psoriasis and eczema, scars, marks or conditions of the face or body, body odour, poverty, gifts and talents or family situation (e.g. divorce, bereavement, homelessness).
Everybody has the right to be treated with respect, and no one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Individuals who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving. Accrington Stanley Football Club recognises its responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.
PROCEDURES
Report bullying incidents to the designated team Safeguarding Officer, Team Coach, the Club Welfare Officer or a member of the club’s committee.
In cases of serious bullying, the incidents may be referred to the County FA Designated Safeguarding Officer for advice and possibly to The FA Case Management Team.
Parents/carers should be informed and will be asked to attend a meeting with the club welfare team to discuss the problem.
If necessary and appropriate, the police will be consulted.
The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and the bullying stopped quickly.
An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour.
If mediation fails and the bullying is seen to continue the club will initiate disciplinary action under the club rules.
CLUB RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
In addition to Accrington Stanley Women Football Club (the “club”) constitution and code of conducts, players, parents, managers, and coaches of the club are governed by the rules and regulations of the Football Association, The league rules of all leagues for which the club has entered team to participate in. The rules and regulations of the Football Association and leagues are usually posted on their respective websites. The provisions set forth herein as well as the policies and rules of the other governing organizations may be enforced by the club’s management committee, and any violation thereof may result in reprimand, suspension, or expulsion of a player, parent, coach, or team from the club.
The purpose of this document is to provide players, parents, and coaches with a basic understanding of the policies that govern the club’s operations. The following rules, policies, and procedures will be used to resolve any disputes that may arise and will be applied fairly and consistently with all the players, parents, and coaches. These rules, policies, and procedures were developed to ensure that the club functions and operates efficiently and were initially adopted by the club’s management committee on 29th July 2025 and afterwards as amended. It is not possible to document all possible issues and potential resolutions so the good judgment of the management committee will prevail in any issues that may arise.
The management committee encourages all players, parents, and coaches to become familiar with these rules, policies, and procedures. If anyone has any concerns, questions or issues that this document does not cover, please feel free to contact the club general secretary. The management committee reserves the right to add to, delete from, or to modify this document as necessary to ensure the fair, equitable and efficient operation of the club.
SECTION 2: CLUB DISCIPLINE
Authority
The club committee has the authority and responsibility to investigate all allegations and occurrences of infractions of the letter or spirit of the club, The FA and the Leagues rules, policies and procedures by players, parents, teams, coaches, and administrators and to discipline those determined to be guilty of infractions. The fact that the Lancashire Football association may discipline a player, parent, team or coach or that a coach may discipline a player, does not mean there will not be further discipline issued by the club committee.
Process
For allegations to be considered appropriate for review and action by the club committee, the allegations must first be submitted to the club’s general secretary in writing and delivered by hand, by mail, or electronically. The accuser has the burden of proof against the accused and must provide evidence to support his/her allegations. Evidence includes documents, such as texts and emails, or corroborating information from other players, parents, managers, and coaches or witnesses. Based on the evidence received, the club’s general secretary will request information from the accuser, including any evidence to the contrary. After preliminary fact-finding, the club’s general secretary will determine if the matter should be reported to the clubs committee. If the matter goes to the welfare committee and the committee determines that a hearing is warranted, the clubs general secretary will inform the parties involved in the dispute and schedule a committee hearing.
At the hearing, both parties shall have the opportunity to state their position, present relevant supporting documents or written statements, have their position corroborated by others, and answer questions from clubs committee members. Committee hearings will be closed to all persons who do not have a direct interest in the issue. In all instances in which a player under 18 is involved, the player's parents must accompany the player, but the parents may only speak to issues where they have direct, first-hand knowledge of the matter being discussed. If the person making the allegation is not present at the hearing, the issue may be dismissed.
Decisions
After the hearing, the clubs committee will decide if an infraction has occurred, and if so, the committee will decide what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken against the offender. The committee will notify the interested parties in writing via the club’s general secretary of its decision and any action to be taken. The committee’s decision will be given within 7-10 business days after the hearing. The club’s committee’s decisions are final and binding.
If the club’s committee finds the conduct of any player, parent or coach purposely violates the club’s rules, policies, and procedures or is detrimental to the objectives of the club, it may suspend the member, impose other sanctions or take any actions deemed necessary based on the specific circumstances.
SECTION 3: GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCT
The club’s code of conduct sets out expectations relative to behaviour, sportsmanship, and conduct as a player, parent, coach of the club. You are expected to abide by these codes and all club policies upon accepting an invitation to join the club. The club’s rules and policies permit the club to discipline, suspend, dismiss or otherwise penalize player’s, parent’s, coaches of the club for conduct deemed unsuitable or not in the best interest of the club.
Unsuitable or conduct not in the best interest of the club is defined as, but not limited to:
Any unsportsmanlike act with any official, coach, player, or parent, whether penalized by external authorities or not, before, during, or after a match.
Any dissent directed toward an official of the game or official of the club or other clubs.
Any use of verbal language that is abusive, foul, or offensive to others.
Any physical assaults on any member of the public, officials, referees, coaches, parents or players of any opposing teams.
Any possession and/or use of any illegal drugs or substances.
Any intoxicated behaviour resulting from the use of any alcoholic beverage or ‘legal highs’ before, during or after games or training sessions.
Any wilful act of destruction to the property of the club or of others.
Any interference at any time with the duties and responsibilities of any coaches, welfare officers or committee members.
Failure to follow reasonable and practical directions from coaches, welfare officers or other authority figures representing the club whilst at a match, on a trip or engaged in any club related activities.
Disciplinary actions for violating any of these rules or for any unsuitable conduct may include, but are not limited to, the following:
For Players: Disciplinary actions may range from a warning to requiring the player to "sit out" one or more games. In extreme cases, a player may be suspended/removed from her team and/or club. Disciplinary action may be extended to include other or all family members if deemed appropriate.
For Teams: Teams who violate club or league rules may be subject to probation, fines (amounts to be determined by the club’s management committee), or, in very serious cases, suspended/removed from the club.
For Managers / Coaches: Discipline may include a warning or a requirement to "sit" for a specified number of games. Gross misconduct, such as assaulting a referee or intentionally registering or attempting to register an ineligible player is cause for the immediate dismissal from the Club.
A coach may involuntarily be removed from a club team only by the management committee upon the written recommendation of one or more of the following:
The Club’s Committee
The Lancashire Football Association
At least sixty percent of the parents associated with the impacted team, with the parents of each player having one combined vote.
For Parents: Parents who violate rules or policies of the club or the leagues are also subject to disciplinary action by the club. Normally, these actions will range from a warning to being banned from the sidelines (home and away) for a specified number of games. In extreme cases, such as an assault on a referee, the parent may be expelled from the club. Disciplinary action may be extended to include other or all family members and supporters if deemed appropriate.
Behaviour During Games
Parents are expected to maintain a positive sportsmanlike attitude towards all players, officials, coaches, and other families before, during, and after a game. In addition, it is important that parents do not give any directions to players from the sideline or taunt, confront or berate opposing players. By observing these rules, the parents reduce confusion created when players receive instructions from multiple sources and model good sportsmanship. Allowing the coaches to be the sole source of instruction during a game ensures that players can focus on the game plans and strategies the coach wants them to accomplish and increases their potential to do well in their games.
Field/Facility Rules
Club player’s, parents, coaches are expected to help keep the club safe, healthy and pleasant by observing the following rules while at the club’s training facilities:
Each player, parent, coach is responsible for his or her own litter, which should be placed in rubbish bins or removed from the field/facility.
During games subject to league rules, the venue; coaches and players should stand on their assigned side of the pitch. Spectators on the opposite side of the pitch and behind the designated spectator barriers (where one is provided). Only authorized club personnel with ASWFC approved identification cards are permitted on the teams’ side of the pitch.
Car parking: player’s, parent’s, coaches are to park courteously and safely, so that others may also park safely.
Child Safety: Parents are responsible for the supervision and safety of their children when they are not on the field of play / training area. The Club is not responsible for the safety of children who are not actively engaged in a training session or games.
Smoking and/or Vaping is NOT PERMITTED on the sidelines of any of the training or playing venues of Accrington Stanley Women FC.
Poaching
Any player, parent, coach found to be actively recruiting Club players to transfer to another football club may be expelled from the Club. In instances where a parent is directly involved, and has more than one player in the Club, the suspension may be extended to include all other family members.
SECTION 4: GRIEVANCES
Grievances or complaints about team matters should be directed to the team’s safeguarding officer where one is appointed or the teams lead coach and, if possible, resolved at the team level. If the matter cannot be resolved at the team level, the safeguarding officer / lead coach should present the grievance or complaint in writing to the Clubs Welfare Officer or the Clubs General Secretary who shall if required pass this onto the clubs Performance Director. The Club’s Head of Welfare / General Secretary or Performance Director should try to resolve all coach related grievances, but if he or she is unable to do so, the Club’s Head of Welfare / General Secretary or Performance Director should present the grievance or complaint in writing to the Clubs Committee. After doing fact finding investigation, if the Club cannot resolve the problem, the grievance or complaint may be submitted to the Lancashire FA. If the complaint concerns any member of the Clubs Committee, the grievance should be reported to the Club Chair. If the complaint concerns the Club Chair, the grievance should be reported to the Lancashire FA.
All grievances must be filed in writing with the Club Chair, Club General Secretary, Clubs Welfare Officer or Lancashire FA within seven (7) days for a match-related grievance or within thirty (30) days if non- match related. However, serious issues, such as abuse or harassment should be reported immediately. After grievances or complaints are given to either of the aforementioned parties, he or she must start a fact-finding investigation within seven (7) days following written notification of grievance or charge of allegation requiring committee action. All grievances and complaints should be resolved in accordance with Club, The FA and League rules, policies and procedures. If no clearly applicable rule, policy, or procedure exists, the Clubs Management Committee will make the final determination.
SECTION 5: TEAM ADMINISTRATION
Kit
Club and team colours are Red Home Shirts, Blue or Black (Tiffany Glass) Away Shirts. Kits for all teams shall be obtained through the purchaser designated by the Club and distributed via the Team Coaches.
Where teams have been supplied with a sponsored training kit, players will be required to wear this to all training sessions. Teams without a sponsored training kit are encouraged to purchase the training kit from the online store: link.
Coaches
Coaches will be responsible for the proper age-appropriate instruction of football. To assure the highest quality of instruction, all Club coaches are encouraged to continually educate themselves in football techniques and strategies. The Accrington Stanley Women FC core values, coaching methods and principles should be reflected in every training session.
The minimum age for a lead coach is 21. The minimum age for an assistant coach is 18. Assistant coaches under 18 may be assigned provided that they supervised by the team’s lead coach at all times. No person under the age of 21 may take charge of a training session or supervise a game unless an approved coach over the age of 21 is present to supervise.
Team lead Coaches are responsible for providing game schedules, game venue locations, time of games, travel maps/instructions, and any other information necessary to assure arrival of players to a team game venue 20 to 30 minutes prior to kick-off time. This information must be provided for all league and tournament matches. The lead Coach may delegate these tasks to someone else, such as an assistant coach, team secretary; however, the final responsibility for communicating this information rests with the lead coach.
Background Checks
All coaches or volunteers who potentially have access to minors will be required go through the club’s safer recruitment process and must have the following as a minimum to begin coaching
DBS Certificate, to be renewed every three years.
Safeguarding Children Certificate, to be renewed every two years.
Intro to Emergency Aid in Sport Certificate, to be renewed every three years
EE Playmaker Certificate.
All lead coaches who join the club will be required to have applied and completed the intro to football coaching course within 8 months of joining.
Lead Coach
A team will be assigned one lead coach and (if possible) one or more assistant coaches and a safeguarding officer. Lead coaches may choose their assistant coaches. If the club cannot assign an assistant, the lead coach may recruit a parent from within the team or accept assistance from other persons. However, the lead coach and any assistant coach must meet all coaching requirements, as detailed in background checks above.
The role of the Lead Coach is to:
Train the team,
Coach during games,
Do player evaluations. Club players should be continually evaluated during the course of the football season.
Hold at least two parent meetings during the course of the seasonal year. Lead Coaches shall have a parent meeting with parents of players at least seven (7) days prior to start of league playing season start date.
Communicate with their assistant coach/es and safeguarding officer, if any, relative to schedules, tournaments, etc.
Perform the duties of Safeguarding Officer if the team does not have one appointed.
Address concerns from parents about their child,
Be the first line of communication for team parents when a potential grievance is identified.
Instil and uphold discipline throughout the team
The Lead Coach shall have full authority over the selection of the team’s players, starting line-up, players' positions, the amount of playing time given to individual team members (which should aim to be equal time for all), conduct of practice, and policy on missed practices.
A lead coach may coach more than one club team. Because of this, there may be schedule conflicts that prevent the lead coach from making it to every game and to some training session if a game is scheduled during the week. In such instances the assistant coach, another club coach, may cover the game, subject to that person satisfying the coaching requirements highlighted in section 5 background checks of this document. Otherwise, the affected training session may be cancelled.
Assistant Coach
Each team may or may not have an Assistant Coach. The Assistant Coach shall:
Support all the lead coach’s responsibilities, as requested by the lead coach,
At the direction of the lead coach, assist with the coordination of the activities of the team, and
Perform the duties or exercise the powers of the lead coach during the absence and/or inability of the Head Coach to perform his or her duties.
Safeguarding Officer
The Team Safeguarding Officer role may include:
Serving as liaison between the parents and the coach,
To report any Safeguarding / Welfare Concerns to the Clubs Welfare Officer
Assist in any required risk assessments for tournaments
Promotion of a positive, safe and inclusive culture during all training sessions, matches and club events.
If a Safeguarding Officer is not selected, the Lead Coach or the assistant coach should also assume the safeguarding officers’ duties, as appropriate.
Players
The club will approve all registrations it receives from players if the club has availability within a team for player relevant to their age. That is, they will be invited to join a team of the club if space is available within their ability level. Players shall be registered to the leagues in accordance with league rules. Upon joining the club, players shall commit to playing for the club for the entire seasonal year or the remainder of the seasonal year if they registered after the year began. They are also expected to abide by the club’s rules, policies and procedures, including the relevant code of conducts.
Parents
Parents of club players are expected to:
Ensure their child is present and on time at scheduled practices,
Ensure the child is at the game field 20 to 30 minutes, before the scheduled kick-off time for league and tournament games, as determined by the head coach,
When necessary, may assist the team manager or coach, if there is no team manager,
Adhere to club and applicable league policies and codes of conduct at all games,
Encourage good sportsmanship on the part of their child and other members of the team, and
Abide by the club’s parents code of conduct.
Complete the FA Safeguarding Awareness for Parents/Guardian & Carers free online training course.
In addition to monthly subscription fees, parents or guardians are responsible for the cost of any admin fee, fines they may incur from the Lancashire FA for any on field offences or misconduct charges their player (daughter/s) may incur through the season, if any. The Club’s Management Committee will determine the monthly fee for players at the clubs annual general meeting to held no later than 31st July each year.
SECTION 6: PLAYING TIME
All players will get sufficient playing time in league and tournament games, so they have the opportunities to participate in the sport, demonstrate their talents, build confidence, and progress in their development.
The club does not have an equal playing time policy for players U16s and higher teams. Consequently, the club tries to select and place players on teams for which their skill levels are best suited. The club believes this policy provides players with better opportunities to obtain sufficient playing time to develop optimally. Moreover, playing with other players who possess similar skill levels is instrumental in a player’s developmental process.
At the U16s and higher age-levels, the amount of playing time each player gets is determined by merit and must therefore be earned. Playing time is based on several factors including: hard work, positive contributions to team chemistry, attendance and punctuality at training and games, attitude at practices and games, work ethic, playing ability, fitness level, and adherence to team goals, norms and tactics. Lead coaches will weight each of these factors differently when evaluating players. Nothing is guaranteed from week to week except the opportunity for players to control their own destiny through their effort and commitment to team goals in training and in games. Just because a player has earned a starting slot does not necessarily mean that he or she will receive the most playing time. The lead coach will always reserve the right to put the most effective team on the field at any given time in the best interest of the overall team or the current competitive situation. Despite this policy, the club encourages all coaches to substitute so that all players have some playing time.
SECTION 7: EQUIPMENT SAFETY
The club believes that maintaining equipment safety is a responsibility for all coaches of the club. Should a coach discover any equipment that they deem unsafe, this should be reported to the club secretary asap.
The coaches or other person(s) responsible for each game or training session held at the club’s hired training facilities will make a physical inspection of each goal prior to the activity to assure that goals and nets are in a safe condition and properly anchored and secured. Any concerns over the safety of any goal post or nets should be reported to the club secretary who will duly report these concerns to the venue provider. Coaches will remind players and their parents that climbing, swinging on, or attempting to move the goals without supervision is not permitted. Players violating the rule may be asked to “sit” part of or the entire game or training session.
SECTION 8: CLUB FEES AND FINANCIAL POLICIES
Club Fees
At the Clubs Annual General meeting, the Clubs Management Committee, after consultation with the club treasurer, will determine the amount of club monthly fees for the upcoming season. The club fee also referred to as the monthly subscription fees is a recurring 12 monthly fee payable to the club by the payment method advised to its members accordingly.
Registration
An individual registration, code of conducts form are required for every player each season and are either manually or electronically processed. No player is permitted to participate in any club training or games until his or her registration has been completed, any required payment method has been set up, registration for players U18 must be completed by a parent or legal guardian, or another person who has legal signatory authority on behalf of the player. A Relevant proof of age documentation must be presented to a club official.
To become player of the club, players / parents have to register either at the annual registration evening or via the club’s online registration system. The club will provide a player registration link and a link to setup the payment method for the collection on the monthly fees.
A player / parent of player U18 who accepts an invitation to register / register their child and play with the Club commits to pay the monthly fees each month.
Fees, Discounts, Payments, and Refund Policy
Parents/guardians shall be responsible for any child U18, monthly fees in addition to any other fees and expenses that may be assessed by the club. The monthly fees will be used to pay for operational expenses, equipment and other common Club expenses.
The Club’s monthly fees are as below:
£37 per player.
£20 for any sibling
£47 if a player plays both Saturday and Sunday
£20 Training Only
Volunteer coaches who have children registered with the Club will get fee waivers for their children who register with the Club.
Fees may be suspended where a player obtains an injury incurred whilst participate in training or games for the club.
No refunds, partial or full, will be issued to players who choose not to participate in training or games regardless of reason at any point after the commitment to register with the club is made.
No refunds, partial or full will be made in the event a player is suspended or removed from the club on accordance to Rules, Policies and Procedures.
Failure to pay fees on time may result in the player being suspended from training, playing for all league games and tournaments until all financial issues are resolved. Upon receipt of payment, including any late fees, the player will be reinstated. Any fees incurred by the club to collect outstanding fees including but not limited to collection of any legal fees will be added to the balance owed to the club.
The Club General Secretary must be notified in writing about circumstances preventing the fulfilment of fee commitments. Extended payment plans may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Accrington Stanley Women FC may honour requests for players to be released from a club team to join another club provided all club and team fees have been paid in full and all kit has been returned. All fees must be paid and kit returned prior to the release of the player.
Tournament Fees
Parents may be required to contribute to cost of entering annual tournaments, the club, team head coach will advise parents of these additional cost, the amount to be paid per player these will be collected as one-off payments via direct debit of which you / parents will be duly notified of.
SECTION 9: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The club is committed to ensuring that no child shall be denied from playing based upon financial needs. To that end, the club has established a financial assistance program to support needy families. Applications for financial assistance must be received before registration. Applications are kept confidential. All applicants for financial assistance will be required to provide proof of need.
Financial assistance is generally awarded by waiving the club fees for players who qualify for the program.
The financial assistance program will allow for qualified families who are receiving financial aid through the program to perform volunteer duties over the course of the seasonal year. Examples of volunteer duties include aiding the Club in its fundraising efforts, performing as a match official in friendly games against other Club teams or against non-member teams, becoming a coach or safeguarding officer. The program will be monitored to ensure that participating families perform the expected volunteer duties. Qualified families who sign up for the financial aid program but do not perform their volunteer duties will lose the opportunity to participate in the financial assistance program going forward.
SECTION 10: TOURNAMENT POLICIES AND FEES
Each seasonal year, each team may participate in sanctioned, organized tournaments that the lead coach deems suitable. No team may participate in a tournament that is not sanctioned by The FA or relevant County FA. The club recommends that each team participates in at least 1 tournament each off season, if suitable tournaments can be identified. The number and choice of tournaments a team enters will be at the discretion of the team’s lead coach and will be based upon team development needs, costs, the competitive level of other participating teams, and whether the tournament is within a reasonable traveling distance. The club considers a reasonable traveling distance to be a one-way drive time of 90 minutes or less. Otherwise, the club would consider the team a travel teams.
The club does not recommend that U10 and under teams be travel teams. However, the decision to become a travel team rests with the team lead coach and team parents.
Tournament applications are completed by the club at the request the lead coach. The club will arrange payment of all tournament entry fees. Please note, it is the teams lead coach's responsibility to ensure payment is received by the tournament organizers. The club will not process or forward any payment to the tournament organizers until all tournament fees have been paid by parents via the stated payment method.
The teams lead coaches and safeguarding officers SGO (where one is appointed) must be present throughout any tournament their teams enter, team lead coaches are responsible for communicating with the players’ parents with for the timely collection and submission of all documentation required by the club and the tournament organizers; and for care and return of all club equipment.
Any disciplinary action reported to the club by a tournament host will be dealt with by the club committee.
SECTION 11: FUNDRAISING
The club will seek ways to raise funds to help defray the cost of its programs and is open to suggestions. Suggestions should be forwarded to the club’s general secretary for review by the clubs committee. No individual team shall use the club’s name to fundraise without the approval of the Club Chair. In addition, no team is allowed to independently seek donations from current club vendors and marketing partners.
SECTION 12: MEMBERSHIP LIST AND PRIVACY
The club’s mailing list is a valuable and private resource, which must be protected. The term "mailing list" applies to both UK mail addresses and to e-mail addresses. The club's policy is to avoid allowing its members to be subjected to unsolicited commercial mailings, either by UK mail or by e- mail, to the extent reasonable and possible. The mailing list must not be given to any member or outside party without explicit club chair approval. No person may use the club's mailing list for distribution of personal information, or for commercial, charitable or private solicitation, without explicit Club Chair approval. No member may use club information to reveal personal details of any other member except for legitimate club purposes. This policy applies even if the person requesting the information is also a member. Examples of legitimate use are providing the telephone number of a coach to a parent or to another coach. It is not legitimate to honour a request for a telephone number for any purpose that is not related to club business, or for unspecified purposes. Members' email addresses are private and must be protected to the extent possible. Members sending an email to a bulk distribution list should endeavour to protect the recipients' addresses by using anonymous mail lists and blind carbon copy (BCC) distribution.
Notwithstanding the above provisions, the committee may occasionally contract with third-party vendors to provide certain services (ex: on-line registration or football-related events or activities) that may require members to provide the vendor with personal information about themselves and their children. Before approving any such agreement, the Chair must review the vendor's privacy policy and ensure that:
Members have the right to opt out of communication unrelated to the event or activity for which they registered.
The vendor states that he/she/it will not sell or otherwise share members' personal information for any use unrelated to the purpose and intent of the agreement.
When using third-party services members are individually responsible for:
Reviewing the vendor's policies before entering into any agreement or providing information and/or payment.
All interactions and any disputes (financial or otherwise) arising from their relationship with the vendor.
The club may use its website to provide informational services to its members. The club will safeguard personal information to the best of its ability by using recognized security techniques such as encrypted communication, discrete identifiers, and passwords. However, members are expected to recognize that they are also responsible for safeguarding their own privacy by keeping passwords and other identifiers secure.
The club will not require or store members’ bank account details, or other personal information that is not essential to the club’s operation. However, the club may use the services of third-party organizations that do store such information, such as on-line payment services. No player / parents’ personal information will be displayed on the public area of the web site without explicit approval of the player / parent. This policy applies to telephone numbers, UK mail and email addresses, and photographs. No identifiable photographs of anyone U18 will be displayed without parental approval.