Bolton Over 35 Veterans' Football League

Return to Football Front  page

CONSTITUTION  -  Updated August 2024

Name:  The League shall be called "The Bolton Over 35 Veterans’ Football League".

Government:  The League shall be governed by a Committee elected at the Annual Genera Meeting (AGM).

Policy:  The policy of the League shall be that agreed upon by the representatives at the AGM, and established at committee meetings in writing. 

Objective:  To promote the game of football for the over 35 age group. 

Committee:  The Committee shall consist of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Match Secretary, Referees Secretary, Press Officer and one representative from each club. 

Election of Committee:  The Committee shall be elected at the AGM. All Officers shall serve for a period of three years. In the event of an Officer leaving the Committee, the replacement shall serve for the balance of the original period. 

Quorum:  A committee meeting shall be quorate when seven of the members are present. 

Duties of the Committee:
(a) Consider all matters referred to it and take proper and expedient action.
(b) Be responsible for the administration of the League, and for conforming to League Rules and for submitting an Annual Report and League Account to the AGM together with further information that may be required.

Duties of the Chairman:  The Chairman shall preside at all AGMs of the League and all meetings of the Committee, with powers to summon special meetings of the Committee, through the Secretary. In the event of an equality of votes for or against any matter, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

Duties of the Vice-Chairman:  The Vice-Chairman shall deputise in the absence of the Chairman. In the absence of both, a Chairman shall be elected from those members present.

Duties of the Secretary:      The Secretary shall:
(a) with the Chairman, be responsible for calling all AGMs for the League and meetings of the Committee, preparing minutes of all such meetings and for maintaining the records of the League;
(b) submit to the Committee, all matters of League business;
(c) be responsible for all correspondence received and sent;
(d) be provided with a deputy on request. 

Duties of the Treasurer:   The Treasurer shall:
(a) collect all members' subscriptions, fees, etc and be responsible for all League monies;
(b) pay all reasonable expenses incurred by the League.
(c) prepare annually, an audited income and expenditure account made up to 31st May or such other date as the Committee shall from time to time decide;
(d) submit to the committee meetings, statements of funds, balances and, where required, explain any variations. 

Subscriptions and Finance:  The funds of the League shall be controlled by the Committee and shall be deposited in a bank/building society, approved by the Committee, in the name of the League. All cheques and drafts on the bankers shall be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman or Secretary. 

Standing orders for meetings:
(a) No discussion shall be allowed on the minutes except as to accuracy. No resolutions of the Committee shall be rescinded except by a proposal at a subsequent meeting with a two-thirds majority.
(b) All proposals shall be moved and seconded before being debated.
(c) The following proposals may be moved and seconded without notice and the question put:- (i) To suspend the meeting; (ii) To adjourn the meeting; (iii) To proceed to next business; (iv) That the vote be taken. Such motions require a two thirds majority in favour.
(d) Items for inclusion on the agenda for committee meetings must be in the hands of the Secretary 48 hours prior to the meeting.
(e) Only urgent items shall be taken at Any Other Business at committee meetings. 

Voting:
(a) Each member shall have one vote.
(b) Voting shall be on a show of hands.
(c) At the AGM, which will be held in June, each member team and each Officer shall have one vote. No person can have two votes in different capacities. 

Membership:
(a) All applications for League membership shall be subject to acceptance by the Committee.
(b) A team shall be deemed to be a member of the League upon receipt of all required subscriptions, fees etc by the League Treasurer.
(c) Any member club not present at the AGM will be fined £10.00. 

Appeals:
Members have a right of appeal against this Committee’s decision. In the event of the decision being upheld after a personal hearing, members have a further right of appeal to the County FA, if there is evidence that the rules of The Bolton Over 35 Veterans’ Football League have been breached.

BOLTON OVER 35 VETERANS’ FOOTBALL LEAGUE RULES  -  SEASON 2024/25

 The Bolton Over 35 Veterans’ Football League is governed by the standard code of rules of both the Football Association and the Lancashire Football Association.

These rules will apply at all times.

REGISTRATION

1.  All players must be registered with The Bolton Over 35 Veterans’ Football League and be at least 35 years of age on the date of registration. Players need to be registered on the whole game system. No player will be allowed to play any matches without being registered.

2.  Each player must play at least three games for the signed Club to be allowed to play in semis or finals.

In exceptional injury circumstances, the Committee shall have the right to allow a goalkeeper to be signed.

3.  Each team shall pay a Registration Fee to the League Treasurer by the first Friday in July. Teams will NOT BE ALLOWED to play in the Competition if this fee has not been paid. This fee includes the registration of up to 25 players. Additional registrations can be made at a charge of £5 per player.

By the same date, teams shall also pay a one-off returnable £100 bond which must be topped up, if necessary, for each season. The bond (remainder) is returnable if the team leaves.

Each team shall pay a Guarantee Fee to the League Treasurer by the first Friday in September.

The amount of the Registration and Guarantee Fees to be decided annually at the Annual General Meeting. A refund of up to £10 may be made at the end of the season.

The Registration Secretary should receive from each team a memory stick with proof of players eligibility (driving license or passport) by the first Friday in September.

4. Players registered for any team which leaves the League owing money, will not be allowed to re-register unless they pay their share of their former team’s debt.

5.  A player may only register to play for one team. A player may transfer to another team. Any transfer must be agreed by both managers and a fee of £5 paid to the League.

6.  A club not having its own private pitch shall produce evidence, in writing, that it has received permission to use a designated pitch.

GOVERNANCE

7.  All fixtures will be arranged by the League Committee.

8. Matches will be played 40 minutes each way. Points will be awarded - 3 for a win, 1 for a draw. In the event of a draw in a cup match, penalties shall decide the winner.

9.  Teams shall comprise 11 players and five substitutes, all of whom may play on a roll-off, roll-on basis.  A player once having been substituted during a match becomes a substitute and may, in turn, replace another player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.

10.  Any club playing an unregistered or under-age player in a fixture will be fined £50. In addition, any club breaching this rule may be deducted 1 point for league matches and the game awarded to the opposition.

A second offence will result in a £100 fine and also may result in a 1-point deduction and the awarding of the game.

A third offence will result in the club being asked to appear before the management committee.

In the case of a cup fixture, the club will be eliminated from that competition.

11.  In the event of a clash of strips, the home team will change.

12.  Matches will kick-off at 11.00 am on the ground of the home team, and on the date scheduled in the Handbook, unless agreed otherwise with the Match Secretary. Postponed matches should be notified to the Match Secretary immediately and the match shall be re-arranged for the first available date. Evening matches in the latter part of the season must be played as directed by the Match Secretary, unless arranged for an earlier date by the teams involved. Evening matches will kick off at 6.30 pm.

13. No matches will be postponed except County Cup matches. Teams in the County Cup need to inform the Match Secretary as soon as possible.

14.  Any team failing to appear for a match and not having complied with Rule 13, shall be automatically fined £50, which will include match expenses (including the referee's fee), may have 1 point deducted and have the game awarded to the opposition, (or in the case of a cup match, be automatically eliminated from the competition).

A second offence will result in a £100 fine and also may also include a 1-point deduction and the awarding of the game.

A third offence will result in the club being asked to appear before the Management Committee.

In the event of any match not being played according to the issued fixtures (normally as printed in the handbook), BOTH teams must notify the Match Secretary of the reason for the postponement, within seven days. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a fine of £15.

15.Cup matches to be played on the date scheduled. If pitches are unfit or unavailable the opposition pitch must be used.

16. In the event of teams finishing the league on the same points there will be a play off at a venue decided by the League Management Committee.

REFEREES

17.  A referee shall be appointed for all matches by the Referees Secretary. In cases where there are no officially appointed referees, the home team shall be responsible for providing a referee.

18.  The League Committee may, if they consider it desirable, appoint assistant referees (if available) to any match. When assistant referees are not appointed, each team shall provide a club assistant referee.

19.  Referees shall be entitled to a match fee of £45.00.  The cost of referees appointed, will be £25 for the home team and £20 for the away team, and is payable at the conclusion of the match.

20.  Referees and assistant referees appointed to cup finals shall be entitled to a match fee (paid by the League) and a memento of the occasion.

21.  In the event of a match not being played because of circumstances over which the clubs have no control, the match officials, if present, shall be entitled to half the match fee, (paid by the home team for a league match, and shared by both teams for a cup match).

22.  Any club marking a referee 5 or below, shall submit a report to the Referees Secretary within 7 days, outlining the reasons. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.00.

ADMINISTRATION

23.  A match card shall be completed prior to the start of play and signed by a representative of each club and the referee, after the match.

          Failure to do this will result in a £10 fine.

          The completed match cards must be sent by “WhatsApp” to the Registration Secretary before 6.30pm on Sunday evening.

          Failure to do this will result in a £10 fine.

          The paper copy of the match card must be handed in at the League Meeting.

24.  The home club must provide full first aid equipment for use in case of an accident.

25.  Each club shall be responsible for its membership of the Lancashire Football Association and the insurance of all its players.

26.  A Notice of Motion Meeting will be held at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on the first Friday in June. Clubs wishing to propose rule changes should submit them to the Notice of Motion Meeting for discussion. The proposals will be discussed at this meeting and will then be voted on at the Annual General Meeting when discussion will not be allowed.

27.  When there is more than one division, a system of promotion and relegation will operate, with two teams being promoted and two teams relegated annually.

28.  The following BSF trophies will be presented to the winners.

League

Division 1

Chadwick Cup

 

Division 2

Burton Cup

 

Division 3

Walker Cup

League Cup

Division 1

Marshall Cup

 

Division 2

Glaister Cup

 

Division 3

Danny Jennings Trophy
  Division 4 Phil Ashton Cup

29.  An open knock-out competition will be held each season for the Sam Ashworth Trophy.

30.  All trophies must be returned to the Match Secretary by February 28th in each season.

31.  All clubs must be represented at the meetings of the League Committee held on the first Friday (unless otherwise agreed) in each month. A fine of £10 shall be imposed on each occasion that a club is not represented.

 32.  An Appeals Committee (comprising the Officers of the League) shall deal with all appeals and matters of discipline.

All appeals/protests must be made in writing and posted to the League Secretary not later than seven days after the match, accompanied by a fee of £15 (refundable only if the appeal/protest is upheld). On appeal, a personal hearing will be granted, after which the Committee’s decision shall be deemed final.

33.  The Committee shall have the power to interpret these rules, or any additions or alterations thereto, and also give rulings on any matter on which the rules are silent, and also impose fines or withhold trophies for failure to comply with the rules, at its discretion.

34.  All monies should be forwarded to the League Treasurer and cheques should be made payable to:  ‘‘BSF Football League’’.

35.  The league season can be extended by the league management committee.

36.  Trophies and Medals will be given out at Cup Finals and at the AGM for League Honours and Special Awards.