Notes of
East Men’s and Women’s Leagues Annual General Meeting 7th June 2009
Apologies for absence: Gore
Court HC, Waltham Forest HC, Canterbury HC,
Berkhamsted HC, and Bob King, League Manager EMVL
Present: 53 persons, representative of 34 clubs.
Postal voting: 37 postal voting papers were received, 24 from EML and 13 from EWL clubs.
1. Chairman’s League
Report for season
The Chairman welcomed Simon Buckley and former League Chairman, Steve Buckley, the people behind the website company NE14HOCKEY that is very generously sponsoring the East Leagues for a period of three seasons. Simon would be presenting the trophies to winning clubs and top goalscorers later in the meeting.
The season has been free of any major problems, although it has been disappointing to see how many clubs leave action on entering teams, updating information, and paying invoices until the very last moment. For example with a week to the entry deadline nearly 30 clubs had not entered their teams for next season and 3 took it to the final hours on the last day. One club chairman even drove over a hundred miles to deliver a payment in cash to avoid further penalties. It would be a first if every club read its league invoice and promptly sent the right money to the right person!
During the last season we had 1104 Yellow and 38 red cards in the men’s leagues and 114 yellow and 2 red cards in the women’s leagues. Bearing in mind that a third of those are in Premier leagues where the competition is very fierce, it is for the others less than one card in every four games played. Some easing of the rule on multiple yellow cards will be discussed later in the meeting.
The League rule that all umpires nominated by clubs should be fully paid up members of their Umpire Associations has been very successful, with very few clubs not fully complying. It is also usually the Club that pays the membership fees of all its umpires, and this should really be the norm. It is the least a Club can do to support those who turn out week after week to whistle!
2. Election of Officers
The following had been nominated by the League
Committees. There were no other
nominations.
Chairman:
Secretary:
EML League Managers: David
Burt, Cliff Gulbis, Barry Harness, Nick Hoyle,
EML Results Coordinator: Richard
Munns
EMVL League Manager:
EWL League Managers:
EWL Results Coordinator: Sarah
Mann
Budget Officer: Samantha Menear
The Officers as listed were therefore elected.
3. League fees 2009-10 season
The proposed fee
for of £12.50 per team (£18.75 for late entries) was agreed unanimously.
4. Amendments to League Rules
The rule amendments proposed by the League Committees were discussed.
On the proposed slip dates, it was suggested that the Committee might consider an earlier start in January to give an additional slip date at season end.
On the change in yellow card penalties, it was explained that the increased penalties introduced in 2006 had not reduced the number of players getting three or more yellow cards, so that change would be reversed. The alternative approach now proposed of the Committee dealing with excessive card numbers by direct action with player, team, or club would entail the use of penalties set out in League rule 7.2.
A wording error in the amendment to rule 3.3.2 was discussed, and by unanimous agreement of the meeting the word “divisions” was amended by the Chairman to the intended “teams” as this did not significantly change the intent of the proposal (to prevent unfair use of bench players in teams too low to represent genuine match practice for the player).
All proposals were then carried by the majorities set out below.
RULE |
Summary of proposed change |
Y |
N |
|
2. Club eligibility |
The women’s
side of a joint club will not be penalised if the men’s side has an
outstanding debt, and vice versa. |
43 |
0 |
|
3.2
Premier Div registrations |
No new
registrations after 31 January. |
38 |
1 |
|
3.3.2 Bench players |
Higher
division regular bench players cannot play down for match practice by more
than two teams |
39 |
6 |
|
4.3.1 Match dates |
Slip dates
applicable to all seasons. |
43 |
1 |
|
4.3.3 Match details |
Failing to
post the time and venue of a match on the website by the deadline may result
in a £5 fine. League Managers can also apply penalties if later changes are
not properly communicated. |
42 |
2 |
|
4.4 Results
Notifications and Teamsheets |
Penalties for
failing to report a result or send in a teamsheet are to be made the same in
EML and EWL. A first offence will get
a warning, a second offence a £20 fine, and a third or subsequent offence a 1
point deduction |
45 |
0 |
|
4.5 Postponements and
Abandonments |
Responsibilities
during weather cancellations are clarified.
League Managers are given discretion to make rulings when
cancellations are not properly communicated to travelling teams. |
43 |
1 |
|
5.3 Umpire
Replacements. |
Clubs to
ensure unqualified umpires are insured.
|
39 |
4 |
|
7.3 Yellow cards |
3rd
and 4th get a one match suspension; 5th or more a two
match suspension. |
45 |
0 |
5.
AOB
Points made from the floor to possibly improve organisation of EML divisions season by season: early consultation with affected clubs when there are significant divisional rearrangements; consideration to be given to higher initial placings or accelerated promotion routes for new teams added by clubs already in the league, not just to teams in clubs new to the league; and possibly a collation of men’s team entries earlier than the end of May.