APPENDIX B: Suggested redacted minutes for public viewing:
DULWICH HAMLET FOOTBALL CLUB
Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, London. SE22 8BD
Committee Meeting Thursday 2nd February 2017
DULWICH HAMLET FOOTBALL CLUB
Minutes of Committee Meeting held at the Club on Thursday 12th January 2017
Meeting opened at 7:33 pm
Present- Chairman: Liam Hickey; John Leahy; John Lawrence; Mishi Morath; Andy Greig; Paul Griffin; Shaun Dooley
Apologies for absence: Martin Eede, George Parnavelas
: In the notes below John Leahy will be referred to as Primo and John Lawrence as John.
MINUTES OF LAST MEETING:
The minutes of the meeting of Thursday 24th November 2017 were read and signed as true records.
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES:
None
CHAIRMAN’ REPORT (Liam Hickey)
Ryman League Mid-Season Meeting
Players:
Agreed to amend rules to allow a 5th loan player provided one is a Youth Loan.
From next season players will be able to play in games where suspensions don’t currently count towards games but in which they are prevented currently - county cups
Suspensions that are governed by county associations will be served only at that level or below so players picking up cautions in Step 5 will serve only at Step 5.
Can all clubs ensure that player names on registration forms match their ID so that confusion on names can be avoided in future?
Football Stadia Improvement Fund - is open to clubs with a minimum lease of 10 years.
Programmes- discussion about whether clubs should be supplying to opposition Directors and teams - not resolved.
Reorganisation of leagues from 2018-19
There will be an additional Step 3 league making 4 leagues of 22 clubs.
Season 2018-19 will see 1 club relegated from each Step 3 league
Promotion - National League will only relegate total of 6 teams so only champions plus 2 play-off winners will go up. How this will work is not decided but there is likely to be a super play off between the 4 play-off winners.
The Southern League will manage this additional league at Step 3
Dressing Rooms - for Step 1 (National League) they need to be a minimum 30 square metres. Do we know the measurements of our current ones?
Programmes - much discussion with no agreed outcome but certainly Premier Division will still need to issue.
League Sponsors - This will be last season as Ryman and new sponsor expected to be announced shortly.
Benchwear - this will be supplied by Mitre from 2017-18 and will include T shirts which they are happy to have carry sponsors for each club. Mitre do not supply kit in colour pink so not an option to order from them.
Ownership
Last night’s meeting was interesting, and a good barometer of opinion. The actions from it are:
•Top Level Cross Group Meetings, monthly if possible. (Chairman and Vice Chairman of both Committee and DHST + additional as required with Gav/Aspire open to attend all)
•Business Plan Creation for minimum 2 scenarios. Plan A (Meadows Development) and Plan B (Remaining at Current Ground and making it feasible/attractive to potential investors)
•Business plan sub-groups are as follows, with work to start ASAP (Subject to inclusion of additional members as per groups will/need)
- Plan A - DHST Fan ownership subgroup Plan B - Liam Hickey, Tom Cullen
- Plan B will initially liaise with Meadows to obtain all relevant information about the current ground to begin devising plan.
The groups will use each other as feedback points as the plans progress. Regular sharing of progress is imperative to both improve both plans, but also to improve critical communication amongst us as a group.
Commercial:
•Deals are being worked on and confirmed for next season, 2017/18. Once everything is signed and confirmed with all parties they will be officially released via the Club website and social media.
Other companies are still being talked to, to increase Commerical revenue and partnerships.
New Advertising idea (stolen from Batley Bulldogs RL) and being considered by Keeley:
- advertisers pay monthly by standing order rather than whole amount up front
- contract for minimum 2 years
Examples:
Ground Board/Banner - Up front cost £150 then 24 payments of £35 per month
Programme - Full Page - No upfront cost then 24 payments of £30 per month
Andy has been speaking with Southey, formerly Late Knights Brewery. Has provisionally agreed £450 to sponsor the Gola of the Month for the rest of the season along with £250 for a banner in the ground. Should be back to him by Monday.
SECRETARY’S REPORT (Martin Eede-via email)
The past month has certainly been an up and down one!
We have had some good results and some bad. The Royston tie resulted in a victory and progress in the Trophy but the incident in the home game did no good to our reputation.I have replied to the FA with regard to the invasion of the pitch area stating our measures to prevent such occurrences.
I believe our Chairman and stadium manager have worked out an even more secure match day system and the culprit has been banned from home games.I have not received notification regarding the Managers’ part, although it was certainly reported.From experience, this will be more long winded and potentially serious.
Players loan and otherwise have been moving in and out at speed and by now everyone will be aware that Vas Karagiannis has returned to Maidstone from loan early.Dumebi Dumaka has signed until the end of the season.Danny Carr has gone to Leatherhead for two months.We have had two players on loan from Charlton Athletic, Chris Millar and Louis Yamfam.Josh Fernandes has returned from Erith and Belvedere.We have also had to apply for international clearance in some cases.
We have received the Ground report for our FA inspection and this can be resolved quite easily and I believe Chris Taylor is on this.
One issue is floodlights, but I believe Chris & Meadows are working on this.
All football clubs have now come under the microscope by the FA regarding Safeguarding of Under 18’s compliancy.With regard to Aspire, it has been hard work since the summer!Junior and Peter Adeniyi are, it appears now qualified for what the FA call a CRC.As regards others involved I could not be sure.The FA have asked for dates and times when the boys will train or play. We are working to comply with this.
I have also received a request today from the FA to report any knowledge of historical sexual abuse from the 70’s onwards.This seems a very hard task to fulfil.I certainly have no knowledge and wonder if anybody on the committee has heard anything over the years they have been at the club, if so, can I be informed please?
I addition to these subjects, I am also attending to the regular business of the club which at the moment seems to be completed without any errors.
Martin Eede
Secretary
SEASON TICKET REPORT: (compiled by non-committee member Bill Azzi)
Season Ticket sales as at 31st December 2016 prepared by Bill Azzi & distributed to committee members. Total tickets issued number 263.
COMMUNICATIONS / SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT (Paul Griffin)
The Social Media outlets, Twitter and Facebook, continue to perform well with monthly impressions steady around the million mark., we will continue to work with Tom Cullen to ensure this accurately reflects Dulwich Hamlet Football Club. Concerned that subscriber numbers on DHFC TV seem to stagnating around the 400 mark with some recent videos showing less than 1000 views on YouTube. Also, concerned that the website is not proving as popular as it has been. In the past we have been regularly in the top five on Pitchero alongside the likes of Salford City but are slipping out of the top ten of late.
PROGRAMME EDITOR REPORT (John Lawtence)
John Lawrence:He said he would do a smaller £1 cover price programme for the Barkingside match, as there was quite a loss on the Faversham Town league cup issue; 55 copies being sold from a 150-print run.
Andy asked about more Gavin Rose columns.Response was Tom Bale (from DHFC TV) had done some, and we’d look at further ones. Andy said this may have been at some of the games he has missed.
COMMUNITY REPORT: (Mishi Morath)
Charity Partner for Next Season
Mishi had been liaising with a local charitable organisation and outlined a proposal to make them Dulwich Hamlet’s Charity Partners for the 2017/2018 season. This was put to the committee and all were in favour. This will be officially announced toward the end of the season.
Andy outlined the work he had done in advance of the proposed Race Night to raise funds for the Altona 125th Anniversary Celebration Tour in 2018. A discussion followed covering costs, potential dates and whether this should be a standalone event on a midweek evening or after a game. It was decided that Andy would liaise with Mishi to determine these and how the event would be run.
Ahead of the Altona 125 fundraising quiz being organised by Mishi, Liam suggested that a committee team should take part. All happy with that.
Sponsored Walk to Wingate and Finchley to raise funds for Altona 125. Mishi suggested that the money raised be split between the fund and a big-name charity to increase awareness amongst supporters. This should also enable the fund to raise more money. Mishi proposed that the co-beneficiary be Shelter and put this to the committee for discussion.
The problems caused by a supporter selling raffle tickets at a recent game was raised with Chris. Not only were his tickets identical to Mishi’s 50/50 tickets but he started selling them just inside the ground, by the turnstiles, which confused a number of fans, thinking they had bought ‘50/50’ tickets Additionally, he had bypassed protocol and had not informed the committee of his intentions, instead going via Chris. It was agreed that this would not happen again. All future ‘outside’ fundraising should go through the correct channel of Committee members.
“50/50 DRAW” SALES SUMMARY FOR 2016/17(up to & including Tuesday 10th January 2017)
Total collected so far (after prize money) : £3107
EXPENDITURE: £2577
CHARITABLE TYPE DONATIONS: £1017
CLUB EXPENDITURE: £1560
CASH IN HAND: £530
Games played so far: 25
Average taken per game: approximately £124
With thanks to the volunteers who have helped, especially Sarah Biins, Tom Cullen & Dave Rodgers.
GEORGE PARNAVELAS – REPORT via email JANUARY 2017
Homelessness Awareness Match
Confirmed with CentrePoint for Wednesday 1st March. Following a meeting in December, they have proposed the following:
•Dulwich Hamlet XI v CentrePoint XI (CentrePoint team to be made up of mix of former Street FA players and celebrities)
•Street Football Association court set up in car park for fans to play the game (area to be managed by our PPP volunteers)
•Create opportunities for different fundraising mechanisms (on top of gate receipts) including:
•Raffle
•Potential to have F2F fundraisers signing people up to ‘sponsor a player’
•Buckets
•Communications to start from January (potential to link in Evening Standard)
•Ticketed music/comedy show in bar area to compliment the football activity
I am awaiting the finer details for some of the above points, but provided we get confirmation from the manager I think we need to start promoting on the website and social media.
Ticket Promotions
I have approached Streatham drop-in centre for asylum seekers and refugees for a group of children to attend a match during half term. I have earmarked the match vs Needham Market on Saturday February 18th for this purpose. I will be visiting them a couple of weeks before to talk about the club and opportunities to get involved with us.
Schools
No Saturday 3.00 pm league fixture until 4th February v Leatherhead
At the Needham Market game on 18th February, Link Age Southwark have been invited along as guests.
OPERATIONAL MATTERS
Liam: Following the incident at the Royston home game in the FA Trophy, the club should move to neutralise the areas behind the dugouts with immediate effect. This area should be yellow hatched and was suggested by Andy that the stairwells also be done. Additionally, more needs to be done by the stewards to prevent spectators standing up in certain areas which is blocking the view of seated supporters.
Need to dig out the lanyards for boardroom guests and ensure those are used.
Andy raised his frustrations at having to explain who he was to the Health Club entrance steward each time he came to a game. Was suggested that Ryman League card be shown but Chris also offered to provide a list of committee members to the steward staffing that entrance.
A complaint was made that certain individuals were being “invited” on to the team coaches. In future, a committee member on the team coach would ensure that only those entitled to be on the coach could travel except in extreme emergencies, as per management wishes that the team coach is only for Club officials, management & players.
Chris reported further on ground grading. A lux test took place on the floodlights on Monday, results expected on Tuesday. Would appear to be serious degradation of the bulb fittings. Also concerned about the integrity of the structure. Would aim to have all necessary work carried out by 24th.
Two new physio beds have been secured at a very reasonable price and installed in the changing rooms. The old physio bed has been moved to the spectator first aid room, signage outside tunnel area to be put in place.
12th MAN REPORT
Has been previously suggested that the 1893 Club be used to raise money for the 12th Man. However, after consideration feel this would affect matchday collecting, and suggested that this instead be relaunched to raise money for Altona funds. This was put to the committee and all present were in agreement.
BOARDROOM REPORT:
Boardroom expenses continued to be tight.Primo had £93 in hand, and paid out £90; thus £3 in hand. There is currently a debt of £33; which would be substantially higher, if it wasn’t for the continued Boardroom matchday raffles run by Bill Kirby.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS:
Primo asked if conversations with Kick It Out had been taken further following the incidents at the playoff semi-final with Bognor. Mishi responded that this has been touched upon.
Paul asked if more had been heard from the Grove Collective. Mishi replied that has spoken to them briefly at the Copleston Centre but & would have more dialogue with them.
Mishi had been contacted in regards to having a bucket collection at the Billericay Town game on 25th March. Individual concerned would be running London Marathon in aid of United Response. Reminder that if we are contacted by others running the Marathon for charity that unfortunately the club would be unable to oblige as allocated number of charity collections had been taken up. We will also have volunteers from local charity Link Age Southwark, they work with older people in our area. Have agreed for them to have a table just inside the turnstiles at the match against Needham Market, on Saturday 18th February, and will publicise their work prior to the game on our website and social media.
Primo:Mentioned that Bill Kirby’s wife had recently died, and the funeral was to be next Friday, 20th January.There would only be family flowers, but donations were welcomed for their favourite charity. It was agreed to pass on $50 on behalf of the Football Committee.
John said he would enquire as to if the family would like a one minute silence to be held at a future home game.
There was discussion on the annual Ryman League Presentation evening at the end of the season. The general opinion was that the owners could help with this, with it reflecting badly on the Club if we did not attend in ‘acceptable numbers’ or if the senior officials did not stay overnight, like all the other clubs do, for the AGM, which follows the next day.
Chris said he would look into this & report back.
Andy also reported back from the last Supporters’ Trust meeting, & said that they were not happy with the suggestion to have a collection & wear pink for the fixture promoting International Women’sDay, in early March.
With more feedback, as to reasons why it’s not quite acceptable, we would re-consider.
DHFC-TV: Liam said we are still owed money from last season, from subscriptions to Football Exclusives. Mike Bandry, who runs that organisation, was very negative, when Liam asked him about the money owed, and it looks likely that we will not receive any, which is extremely poor from them.
It may be possible to put other funding raised into DHFC TV, some sponsorship is set in the owners’ budget, but other non-budgeted non-additional budgeting could be earmarked & diverted to DHFC-TV.
Chris said he would look into trying to obtain some minor sponsorship for the channel.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
The meeting closed at 09:50 pm.
Next Full Meeting schooled for Thursday 2nd February 2017, 7.30 pm