Date: Monday 8 February 2010
Place: Seedfield Methodist Church Hall

Present: Ken Crimes, Keith Butler, Rodney Hall, Simon King, Graham Wardle, Ian McKenzie, Andrew Webster, Edward Freeman, Bob Goodman (President)
Apologies: Steve Hathaway, Mandy Winskill, Graham Jeffries, Keith Warrington

1 Minutes of the meeting held on 2nd November 2009

Approved

2 Matters arising from 2 November meeting

Possibility of opt-outs from the cup competitions
To be carried forward.
Action: KB – agenda item

Payments from handbook advertisers and sponsors
All have been received.

Additional printing on surrounds
KB to progress.
Action: KB

Improved lighting at Elton
The additional lights will be installed shortly. The Committee agreed to make a £100 contribution to the costs.

2008/9 accounts
These were audited and had been signed on 10 December.

Grubba Fans – various issues and withdrawal of team from Division 5
The club has paid all subscriptions and fees relating to the team that was withdrawn from the League. Some fines have also been paid and the balance will be invoiced at the same time as for other clubs.
Holmar have entered a team to fulfil the fixtures in the second half, playing for double points. Holmar will not be eligible for promotion this season.

ETTA registration forms
To be carried forward
Action: KB – agenda item

Rule changes for next season
Clubs will be encouraged to submit proposals.
Action: KB

Note: the following have been suggested to date: changes in the various competitions, the payment of individual players’ fees, the deadline for clubs to pay their subscriptions, ETTA registration forms.

3 Awarded match - Grubba Fans versus Wardle.

This match had not yet been played after Wardle requested a postponement. There had been many communications between Simon King of Wardle and Marek Maraszkiewicz of Grubba Fans both before and after the official fixture date.. SK presented an appeal against the awarding of the match to Grubba Fans 10-0. Among the grounds for appeal were his contentions that he had withdrawn the request for a postponement but Grubba Fans were then not able to play on the original date, other matches had been postponed in similar circumstances and he was under the impression that the substitute Match Secretary had agreed to the postponement.
He stated that if the 10-0 result were to be confirmed by the meeting then Wardle would withdraw from the League and he would resign from the Committee.
MM was not able to confirm that Wardle had withdrawn the request for a postponement. He also contended that Adelphi had been awarded a 10-0 victory against Grubba Fans in similar circumstances.
The Committee had a lengthy discussion during which they noted the lack of agreement about the exact communications between the two clubs before the official fixture date. They then unanimously agreed to award the match as a 5-5 draw, under Rule 9(b).

4 Cup Competitions

These were generally up to date. Possible venues for the finals are: St Philip’s, Maccabi, Elton, Holmar, Seedfield, Radcliffe and Our Lady of Grace.
Dates and venues will be proposed when the finalists are known.

5 Championships – Sunday 11 April

SK confirmed table hire from Jarvis.
There was uncertainty about the cost of providing additional trophies when clubs requested them for additional players. Action: KB to check with David Ternent

Invitations will be mailed or emailed to all clubs/players.
Action: KB and SK

The room has been booked at Elton for Finals Night, Tuesday 20 April. Elton will be purchasing a new table.
SK had agreed at the previous meeting to review the options for prizes at the Championships.
Action: SK

RH reported that the Elton committee had some thoughts as to who might present the prizes on Finals Night. KC will consider this and advise RH whether to agree to their suggestion.
Action: KC advise RH

It was agreed that the MC from last season’s Finals Night should be contacted with a view to his providing the same service this season.
Action; KW/KC

6 Postponed matches

Rule 8(f) will be reviewed in the light of the problems experienced this season.
It appears that the website is showing the old rules – SK to update the site.
Action: KB to supply new version to SK

The matches postponed because of the snow in January must be re-arranged by the club secretaries. If this isn’t done then the Match Secretary/Committee can apply the last two paragraphs of rule 8(f).

7 Points for awarded matches

Joe Redikin had complained about league positions being distorted because of the 10-0 results that arose from awarded matched.
No-one expressed strong views on this issue but it was thought that adopting a “pools panel” approach could be problematical.
It was noted that it is open to any player to submit proposals for new rules at the AGM.

8 Playing conditions and refreshments

Peter Canter had complained about the low temperature of one venue and the lack of refreshments.
The club concerned had explained the heating issue but had not responded on the subject of refreshments.
The consensus view of the Committee was that clubs were unlikely to deliberately have cold premises and little could be done if heating was inefficient. However the Committee were disappointed that some clubs still failed to provide any refreshments during matches. The notes in the handbook for the past two years had encouraged clubs to provide refreshments. There was no enthusiasm for introducing a rule penalising the less generous clubs but clubs would be reminded of the tradition at the AGM.
Action: KB put on AGM agenda

9 Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be Monday 15 March at Seedfield.
Action: KB