Players, officials, parents and supporters will agree to be bound by the Policies and relevant Codes of Conduct adopted by  East Thurrock United Ladies Football Club  (the ‘Club’).

Players registered to the Club are expected to adhere to certain standards with regard to their behaviour, appearance and punctuality. Players who fail to meet these standards will be disciplined as deemed appropriate by the coaching staff and/or Management Committee.

Last season the club used a disciplinary points system that translated into a fine when a certain threshold was reached. However, the FA has now banned clubs from fining players below the age of 18. Therefore punishments are likely to take the form of laps around the training pitch, ‘sin bin’ time, dropping to the subs bench or even banishment from the next game depending on the misdemeanour. This concept is bound to require fine tuning over the next few months.

Offences committed whilst representing the Club on match days or social outings will be viewed more seriously than those committed during training sessions.

Players ‘bringing the Club into disrepute’ will also be disciplined under the ‘Misconduct’ procedure.

1. Time keeping: Players should arrive for training and matches on time. If a player is going to be late for any reason they must contact the Head Coach [Scott Farley - 01 375 377 762 / 07 805 196 762] to advise why they will be late and to give an estimated time of arrival.

2. Players are expected to be attentive at all times and to show respect to their fellow players, coaches and elders. Players who backchat coaches or fail to show respect (to anyone) may be banished from the training session or withdrawn from the match.

3. Shin pads must be worn during all training sessions and matches. When playing in a match, the socks should be pulled up over the pads and secured with tie ups if necessary.

4. Players must have the correct footwear at all times, i.e., studs for soft ground, moulded soles (astros) for hard ground and trainers to wear to and from training or games. Metal or nylon studs should not be worn on concrete/tarmac and damaged studs must be replaced.

5. All jewellery must be removed before training and matches. This is an FA rule! The club will not be held responsible for any lost items so please leave them at home.

6. No hair beads, slides or hard bands are to be worn during training or matches. This is also an FA rule! Long hair should be kept away from the face using a fabric hair band.

7. Players must not chew gum or eat sweets during training or whilst playing in a match.

8. On match days, players should arrive wearing their club track suit. Warm-up tops may also be worn, depending on the weather. All kit and boots should be clean and carried in their club kit bag!

9. Mobile phones must be switched off during all training sessions and matches. The Head Coach [Scott Farley - 07 805 196 762] will always be contactable during these times if a parent needs to contact a player.

10. No obvious make-up is to be worn during training or whilst playing in a match. Any player who arrives wearing heavy make-up will not be allowed to participate until it is removed.

The following misdemeanours will be dealt with under the ‘Misconduct’ procedure.

• Any form of bullying, both on and off the pitch;
• Verbal abuse;
• Physical violence.

Misconduct

The Club accepts that incidents occur ‘in the heat of the moment’. However, any member – player, parent, coach, official, or committee member – who repeatedly shows disrespect to other Club members, match officials, members of opposition clubs or the Club itself will be subject to formal disciplinary action by the Management Committee.

Non-members guilty of similar misconduct may be banned from Rookery Hill Stadium.

Disciplinary action will normally be imposed in three stages:

i.   Verbal warning;
ii.  Written warning;
iii. Suspension of Club Membership (either temporary or permanent).

However, the Management Committee reserves the right to jump directly to the second stage or third stage in the case of serious misconduct (e.g., bullying or racial abuse) or gross misconduct (e.g., physical assault).

Financial Liability

Any financial liabilities incurred by the Club as a result of actions by its members, typically, but not exclusively, fines imposed by Essex County FA as a result of players being shown red or yellow cards during matches, will be reimbursed by the member concerned. Failure to do so may result in suspension.

Guidance for Parents, Carers and Those Taking Responsibility for Players

The East Thurrock United Ladies Football Club endeavours to conduct the Club within the framework of the Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters. In particular, we aim to meet the five outcomes stipulated within the Act.

However to achieve this aim we need parents to work in partnership with the Management Committee.

• Assist the player to maintain a healthy nutritious diet and ensure that they have always had something to eat before training or playing a match.

• Bring and collect the player at the agreed times. If for any reason beyond your control you know you will be late, please inform the Head Coach [Scott Farley - 01 375 377 762 / 07 805 196 762].

• Assist and support the player to keep her football gear clean and tidy, and ensure that all the appropriate kit is worn on match days.

• Ensure that the player has enough liquid refreshments during training and match days. [Water bottles are provided by the Club during the actual match.]

• Inform the management team of any injuries or illnesses that the player is experiencing as this could impact on their performance and/or exacerbate the condition.

• Give notice of planned absence and, if the player is unwell and cannot attend training or a match, please contact the Head Coach [Scott Farley - 01 375 377 762 / 07 805 196 762] as soon as possible.

Parents are welcome to observe training sessions providing that they remain in the designated area and do not distract the players. Anyone who disrupts the training session will be asked to leave the training field immediately.

Parents are requested not to ‘grab’ coaching staff as they leave the pitch at the end of a match or training session. Coaching staff and Committee members will be happy to discuss any concerns or issues in an orderly manner away from the pitch after they have finished dealing with the players.

Please support the team by attending matches. However please abide by the Club’s ‘Code of Conduct for Football Parents, Carers and Spectators’.

Please encourage and promote team spirit by discouraging back biting, bullying of any form and/or conflicts and disputes. If you believe your daughter is being bullied and/or affected by feeling excluded, please come and talk to a member of the Management Committee. They will manage the situation to bring about a satisfactory resolution.

East Thurrock United Ladies FC is a ‘community’ football club and it is our custom to offer hospitality to the players, parents and officials of the opposing team in the Lounge Bar after all home matches. We do this to leave the rivalry on the pitch and to foster a spirit of friendship and sense of belonging to a community off the pitch. This has been very well received and in our experience we are the only club to do this. We ask that every family supports us in this initiative both by donating some food for the buffet and by joining us after the match.

The Management Committee does its utmost to attract commercial sponsorship to the Club in order to keep the Registration Fees as low as possible. Occasionally we might ask your daughter to participate in a fundraising effort to support the club, for example, last season we packed shopping at Sainsbury’s for a few hours. We will also organise several social events throughout the year both to encourage team spirit and, in some cases, to raise funds. Please support us in these endeavours.

When your daughter signs on with the Club, you agree to pay all registration fees before the Essex County Girls Football League season starts on Sunday, 21st September. You also agree to ensure that any FA fines incurred by your daughter as a result of being shown yellow/red cards during matches are reimbursed to the Club in a timely manner.

In the unlikely event that the winter weather becomes so severe for an extended period that the Club needs to hire indoor training facilities in order to maintain players’ fitness levels, you will be asked to contribute towards the cost of hire. This will only be a nominal cost but will need to be collected on the day of the training session.