Northern Premier League AGM

Last month, on behalf of the club, I attended the annual general meeting of the Northern Premier League in Blackpool. It was the first one I’ve attended and 65 out of the 66 member clubs turned out.

The meeting started with a roll call of clubs to check everyone is there, as attendance at the AGM is compulsory. Then there was a minutes silence for Ludovic Quistin, who died in tragic circumstances the previous month following a road traffic accident back home in Guadeloupe. It was a sobering and sad start to the day.

The proceedings began with a chairman’s report. He was adamant that all league rules will be adhered to strictly, especially in regard to financial matters. There had to be a level playing field for all clubs he said as this was crucial to the integrity of the league and to fair competition. I was very pleased to hear this as FC United has always done things ’by the book’ and it is only right and proper that all clubs work this way.

There was then an announcement of an alteration of the rules with regard to the end-of-season play-offs. This was brought about as a result of the issues that arose surrounding our final game with Bradford Park Avenue. The league has resolved that the team at home in any play-off match must be able to provide the league with an undertaking that the game will go ahead at the correct time and date. If they cannot do so, then the away team will have the opportunity to arrange the game. If the away team cannot do this, then the league will take on the organisation of the game.

Again, I was pleased to hear this. The chaos surrounding the game at Bradford could and should have been avoided and I hope that the representations that we at FC made at the time and since have had an effect on the rule change coming about.

Next, the meeting moved on to the setting of disciplinary fines for next season. In total, there are around 57 different fines for various offences that clubs can fall foul of. These include not getting players’ names on team sheets on time, non compliance with Evo-Stik logos on shirts and the wearing of inappropriate or unauthorised bench wear! There is a lot to take in and as always we look to our club secretary Lindsey to keep us on the straight and narrow in this and many other areas.

FC United got a mention by the chairman of the league at the meeting when he congratulated us on winning the Community Club of the Year Award. It’s good to be recognised like that among your peers and I was really proud to hear the chairman’s praise for the club.

The meeting closed with the secretary looking forward to the new season ahead and thanking all those present for their support during the previous year.

After the meeting there was a showcase of companies who are looking to work with members of the league across a range of product and service areas. Although that sounds a bit ’salesy’, it was actually quite interesting to see the range of organisations who supply the league and what they do.

In the evening, we had the league’s annual dinner, which I attended with my wife Mandy and FC volunteer Darryl Latham and his partner Jenny Crossley. We sat with the management of Nantwich FC and also had a good chat with the people from AFC Fylde who we’ll be coming up against in the league next season. Needless to say, Fylde said that they were hoping for a Saturday fixture against us, so our fans could turn up in numbers for a day-trip to Blackpool! I’m sure there are a few other teams hoping for a Saturday date against FC when the fixtures are released later this month.

All in all, it was a good meeting and an interesting insight into how the league is run and the part we play in it. You’ll be pleased to learn that we ended our day in Blackpool as the last club representatives to leave the dance floor as The Stone Roses played out the evening at the annual dinner disco!