Unfortunately we have had 2 teams withdraw this week from our competitions - Kerridge United CC from the Sunday comp & PK Zalmi CC from the GMCL20 having previously withdrawn from the Saturday competition.
As a board, the GMCL directors know that there is little chance that new clubs can spring up with new facilities and a ground and we therefore work very hard to support teams that use spare capacity at existing venues, and help them in applying to join the league.
Last winter we spent many hours organising and working with a number of clubs and for those that were able to meet our requirements, reorganising fixtures and together with Lancashire Board colleagues putting things in place for teams to play in GMCL in good faith.
In view of the withdrawals this week we now have to ensure that this does not happen again and because, where teams are newly formed, we are unable to consider their past compliance, past attendance and performance nor any financials we are now introducing additional and stronger rules to ensure our other member clubs are not affected in such a manner in future seasons.
- We will continue to welcome applications from clubs that do not have a permanent ground, however,
- We must have advance written notification stating full name, address, phone and e-mail details of 3 officials for the team stating the intention to apply and we will work with those officials, but stress it is not the GMCL Board's role to find a venue for the team.
- For an application to be accepted the applicant must have made arrangements for use of a ground with changing facilities, tea room facilities and a suitably cut and managed square.
- The applicant must supply a letter from their proposed host club confirming that the ground is available every Saturday or every Sunday dependent on division and that financial terms have been agreed and put in place.
- The applicant must supply a guarantee deposit of £500 to the GMCL Board on acceptance of the application, refundable at the completion of the first season. Any default and the deposit will be used to reimburse the expenditure of any club suffering loss due to the default.
- All this must be in place no later than 31st October prior to the season. This will not be extended in future seasons.
We are sorry we have had to do this but the defaulting clubs have left us with little option but to ensure we have formal agreements rather than working in good faith.
This does not affect any applicatons from teams joining from other leagues and those with their own grounds.
GMCL Board
April 2018