Lawford Junior FC

Disciplinary Procedure

Minor disagreements

Minor disagreements among Club members can usually be resolved at the management team meeting, Full Committee or informally by discussion.

Disciplinary procedure

A more serious situation arises when a dispute cannot be resolved.  

Any disciplinary matter will normally be dealt with using the following procedure.

At every stage the Club member should be given reasonable notice (five days) that a disciplinary hearing is due to take place to give him/her the opportunity to prepare his/her case, and s/he should be offered the opportunity to be accompanied by another person if s/he wishes. The disciplinary panel will consist of the Management Team, or alternatively two or three Committee members chosen at their discretion.

1. Verbal warning

i) The Club member will be interviewed by the disciplinary panel who will explain the complaint and given the opportunity to state his/her case (Reasonable time must be allowed for them to prepare his/her case)

ii) After careful consideration by the disciplinary panel, and if the warning is considered to be appropriate, the Club member needs to be told:

· what action should be taken to correct the conduct;

· that s/he will be given reasonable time to rectify matters;

· what mitigating circumstances have been taken into account in reaching the decision;

· that if s/he fails to improve then further action will be taken; and

· that a record of the warning will be kept.

2. Formal written warning

If the Club member fails to correct his/her conduct and further action is necessary, or if the original offence is considered too serious to warrant an initial verbal warning:

i)          The Club member will be interviewed by the disciplinary panel who will explain the complaint and given the opportunity to state his/her case. (Reasonable time must be allowed for them to prepare his/her case).

ii)         If a further formal warning is considered to be appropriate, this will be explained to the Club member and a letter confirming this decision will be sent to them.

iii)                                                                                                   The letter will:

· contain a clear reprimand and the reasons for it;

· explain what corrective action is required and what reasonable time is given for improvement;

· make clear what mitigating circumstances have been taken into account  in reaching the decision; and

· warn that failure to improve will result in further disciplinary action which could result in a final written warning and, if unheeded, ultimately to expulsion with appropriate notice.

3. Final written warning

If the Club member fails to correct his/her conduct and further action is necessary, or if the original offence is considered too serious to warrant any initial warnings:

i)          The Club member will be interviewed and given the opportunity to state his/her case. (Reasonable time must be allowed for the Club member to prepare his/her case).

ii)         If a final warning is considered to be appropriate, this will be explained to the Club member and a letter confirming this decision will be sent to them.

iii)                                                                                                   The letter will:

· contain a clear reprimand and the reasons for it;

· explain what corrective action is required and what reasonable time is given for improvement;

· make clear what mitigating circumstances have been taken into account in reaching the decision;

· warn that failure to improve will result in further disciplinary action which could result in them being expelled from Club membership.

4. Expulsion

                                                                                                   If the Club member still fails to correct his/her conduct, then:

i)                                                                                                   The Club member will be interviewed as before; and

ii)         If the decision is to expel, the Club member will be given notice of expulsion from Club membership, stating the reasons.

5. Suspension

If the circumstances appear to warrant instant expulsion, a Club member may be suspended while investigations are being made. These should consist of obtaining written statements from all witnesses to the disciplinary incident, and from the Club member who is being disciplined. These investigations will be carried out within as short a time as possible.

Instant expulsion is possible only in circumstances of gross misconduct. Examples of such misconduct would be:

· theft or fraud;

· ill-treatment of children;

· assault;

· malicious damage;

· recklessness which threatens the health and safety of others; or

· being unfit through use of drugs or alcohol.

Otherwise, a Club member should not be expelled from Club membership without the appropriate warnings.

If progress is satisfactory within the time given to rectify matters, the record of warnings in the individual’s file will be destroyed at the end of the season.