MANCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTERS’ CLUB MALTA
QUARRIES SQUARE STREET,
MSIDA MSD 1101
STATUTE
AND
REGULATIONS
REVISED APRIL 1997
REVISED JULY 1999
REVISED JUNE 2000
REVISED JUNE 2002
REVISED JUNE 2003
REVISED JUNE 2009
REVISED JULY 2011
REVISED JULY 2012
REVISED JULY 2013
REVISED JULY 2014
REVISED FEBRUARY 2015
REVISED JULY 2015
REVISED JULY 2016
REVISED JULY 2019
REVISED SEPTEMBER 2021
REVISED July 2022
REVISED JULY 2023
REVISED SEPTEMBER 2024
(ADDITIONS TO STATUTE ARE IN BOLD TYPE)
(THE OFFICIAL VERSION IS IN THE MALTESE LANGUAGE)
CHAPTER I
- The Club is to be officially known as `Manchester United Supporters’ Club, Malta’.
- The Club’s postal address will be the premises where the Club is located at that particular time.
- The Club’s badge is the badge printed on the front page of the Statute (Copyright 22172 of the 29th October 1993).
- The main aim of the Club is the propagation of the name of Manchester United Football Club and to encourage more support for the team in the Maltese Islands and abroad.
- No one may ask for the disbandment of our Club as long as there are one hundred (100) paying members.
- Political arguments and discussions, both about local and foreign politics, are strictly forbidden inside the Club’s premises.
- The official language of our Club is Maltese, but both Maltese and English can be used by our Club in correspondence and magazines.
- Circulars sent to members in Malta should be in Maltese or English, but if such circular is to be also sent abroad, it should be in English.
- The Club’s opening days and times are fixed by the Committee. The Committee is bound to open the Club at least two days a week. Such opening times and days do not bind the bar’s opening times.
- The Treasurer is bound to keep an inventory of all Club’s property. A copy of such inventory should be kept by the Treasurer and another one by the Secretary. Any member may ask to see the inventory. A written request must be made to the Committee and the reply should not take longer than a month. The inventory has to be revised and updated at every election year.
- No Club property can be used inside or outside the Club’s premises without the permission of the Committee.
- No property, registered in the inventory, may be lent or given without the permission of the Committee.
- If the Club is disbanded, all Club’s property registered in the inventory should be put in the custody of a Curator, who will be chosen during an Extraordinary General Meeting (E.G.M.) The Curator binds himself to return all goods in his custody to the Club if it is opened up again. If there are any debts, these must be paid out of the assets being taken care of by the Curator.
- If after six (6) months from the disbandment of the Club, it has not been opened again, all the property mentioned in clause 13 should be sold by auction and the money collected to be distributed to the members who have had paid up their membership for the last five (5) consecutive years prior the disbandment.
- The Club shall appoint a professional legal advisor to assist the Committee in any legal issues.
CHAPTER II – CLUB MEMBERSHIP
- Application for membership, on an official form, should be open to residents of the Maltese Islands and those living abroad.
- The Committee has the right to accept or refuse any application. Any member of the Committee may ask for a secret vote about any application for membership submitted. The Committee may refuse to give the reason for refusing an application for membership.
- Once an application for membership has been refused, the applicant cannot reapply before a year has passed.
- All members who are accepted are duty bound to abide by the Club’s Statute and Regulations and by any directives or decisions not mentioned in the Statute, which the Committee deem fit to issue. The Committee can dismiss any member for disciplinary reasons.
- When there is a proposition for increase in local membership fee, it should be decided during an Extraordinary General Meeting held in February/March on the proposition of the Committee. The membership year starts on the 1stJune to the 31st May of the following year. Members have up to the end of the Membership Year to renew their membership.
- The membership fee for members living abroad varies according to the country of residence of the member. The fee is at the discretion of the Membership Secretary, depending on the respective postage fees.
- Everyone, including Committee Members, have to pay their membership fee, except the Hon. President/s, Hon. Members and those members whom the Committee decides to elect as complimentary members.
- The membership fee is split into the following categories:
- Junior Member (0-12 years);
- Youth Member (13-15 years);
- Adult Member (16-65 years);
- Senior Member (66 years and over);
- Life Member;
- Family Member (2 adults and children under 15 years);
- Overseas Member;
- International Member;
- The International Membership of the Club serves to represent the status of a member of the Club in foreign countries without the right to claim something or to take any advantage contained in the Statute of the Club.
CHAPTER III – THE COMMITTEE
- The Club is to be run by a committee, which is elected during an A.G.M.
- The Committee is to be made up of the following delegates:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Assistant Secretary
- Treasurer
- Assistant Treasurer
- Membership Secretary
- Media and Publishing Coordinator
- Souvenir Shop Manager
- Advertising Executive
- ICT Manager
Committee roles (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Vice-Secretary, Treasurer & Assistant treasurer) are to be set as mandatory roles while the other 5 roles can be set in line with Committee requirements.
- The Committee is elected to run the Club for a period of not more than two (2) years from the date of election.
- The Committee must meet at least once a month. The quorum for every meeting shall be half the Committee members plus one.
- Committee meetings are chaired by the President, or in his absence by the Vice President. If both are absent, an interim chairman is to be elected from the members present.
- If during the two years’ period for which the Committee is elected there is a vacancy in the Committee, this vacancy should be filled up by the member who polled the highest number of votes among those non-elected members.
- If any members who contested the election, are elected and refuse to sit on the Committee, or if there were no more than eleven members who applied to sit on the Committee in the last election held, the Committee has the right to nominate any Club member on the Committee.
- If during a Committee meeting some matter is under discussion which may have any connection with any Committee member, this member should leave the Committee room during this discussion.
- If a Committee Member fails to attend three (3) consecutive Committee meetings without any justification, the member will be suspended. The member can justify his absence during the suspension period. If he fails to do so, the member is automatically dismissed from the Committee.
- The Secretary has to submit minutes of the previous Committee meeting during a subsequent Committee meeting. These minutes have to be signed by the President and Secretary after they have been approved.
- The Committee has no right to lend or borrow any monies in the name of the Club, save for credit card facilities which may be approved by the Committee from time to time, and if need be, the Committee has to get the approval of a General Meeting.
- Any member who ceases to form part of the Committee is bound not to reveal anything said during meetings. If an ex-Committee Member is caught revealing what went on during these meetings, he can be expelled from the Club. The Committee reserves the right to take all necessary action against Committee members and even ex-Committee Members.
- Every Committee Member who resigns, is removed and/or ceases to form part of the Committee is duty bound to return to the Club, within ten (10) days, all Club property in his possession. During this period, he should also hand over a report in connection with his previous official duties in the said Committee.
- All Committee decisions must be decided by a simple majority vote. Every Committee Member has the right to ask for a secret vote.
- The Committee can appoint a member, on part time basis, to help with administrative work. The remuneration and working time are related and fixed by the Committee.
- If after a Committee Member resigns, is removed and/or ceases to form part of the Committee, the next in line due to be elected in the Committee constitute of 2 or more members who have obtained equal number of votes during the preceding election, a mini election between the eligible candidates must be held by not later than 1 month from the date the Committee member quits.
CHAPTER IV – HONORARY MEMBERS
- The Committee can nominate Patrons, who must be, or had been officials of the M.U.F.C., Hon Presidents, who must have been Presidents of the Club for at least a year, and Hon. Members of the Club, people who in the opinion of the members have been of service to our organization. These nomination/s must be approved during the A.G.M. These positions must be approved and/or renewed every year during the A.G.M. except when the nomination is for life.
- An Honorary President or Member who decides to sit for the local Committee election must first resign from the role of Honorary President or Member. If the Member is not elected, the Member would be reinstated with his Honorary status again if approved by the AGM.
CHAPTER V – DUTIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- The President is the highest administrative authority of the Club and he or his representative, with the Committee’s approval, can represent the Club in any occasion, including legal and judicial representation.
- He has the right, in conjunction with the Secretary, to call all Committee meetings and General Meetings. No meeting can be held without his approval, or without the approval of one-third (1/3) of the Committee members.
- Apart from his ordinary vote, the President also has the right for a casting vote in case the voting results inconclusive.
- The Vice President has the duty to replace the President, with all his duties and responsibilities, whenever the latter, for serious reasons, cannot fulfil his duties.
- The Club’s Secretary is responsible for all the Club’s correspondence and general organization of the Club, and in conjunction with the President, in the actual running of the Club. He is duty bound to keep minutes of meetings held and a note of what is going on in the Club. The Secretary or Assistant Secretary is by right a member ‘ex officio’ of all sub-committees appointed.
- The Assistant Secretary is duty bound to assist the Secretary in his work and in all that is needed during the absence of the Secretary.
- The Treasurer is responsible for the Club’s finances. He has to keep a record of all the Club’s financial transactions and prepare and present a monthly report to the Committee, each month or whenever he is asked to by the Committee. These reports have to be presented for the approval of the Committee and signed by the President and the Treasurer after they have been checked, before they are presented to the A.G.M.
- The Treasurer can only keep, as cash flow, the amount of €1,000. All the remaining monies should be deposited in the Bank/s chosen by the Committee. The signatures of the Treasurer and the President or Secretary are needed as cheque signatories or to withdraw money from the Bank/s.
- The Accounts are to be kept according to the system approved by the Club’s auditors.
- The Treasurer should keep separate accounts showing the transactions being made in connection with:
- the Bar, when it is run by the Committee;
- the Souvenir Shop
11. The Treasurer cannot spend more than €5,000 without the permission of the Committee. In cases of emergency, the President can authorize the spending of up to €10,000, but both officials have the duty to inform the Committee during the first meeting.
12. In case of suspicion of theft or misappropriation of the Club’s funds, a Commission should be elected by the Committee, made up of the auditors and other persons who have no connection with the Club, to make the necessary investigations.
13. The Treasurer is duty bound to present an audited set of accounts, signed by the Auditors, to be approved by the Committee and by the A.G.M. These accounts should also be compared to the one presented the year before.
14. The Treasurer will also be an ‘ex officio’ member of any sub-committee which deals with finances.
15. The Assistant Treasurer is duty bound to help the Treasurer and when the latter is unable to perform his duties, should take over all the Treasurer’s responsibilities according to clauses 7 to 14.
16. The Membership Secretary is duty bound to collect the membership fees, keep records of all Club members, and remind members to renew their membership. He must also prepare the address list needed to send the Club Magazine.
17. The Media and Publishing Coordinator is responsible for all coordination efforts with outsourced third parties, contributors and Advertising Executive to ensure the quality and timeliness of all Clubs’ published media.
18. The Souvenir Shop Manager is responsible for all souvenir sales, whether directly from the Club or from any other location or source decided by the Committee from time to time. The Souvenir Shop Manager is also responsible for the purchasing of stock, keeping an up to-date stock list and to keep proper records of account.
19. The Souvenir Shop Manager who is in charge of the Souvenir Shop can keep the amount of €200 as cash flow.
20. The Advertising Executive is responsible for all advertising campaigns featuring on all Club media.
21. The ICT Manager is responsible for the IT strategy of the Club and all ICT related operations.
22. The Committee can at its discretion appoint from among the paid up members an Editor to help with any of the Club’s publications.
23. Only the Committee can elect representatives to represent the Club or be its spokesman at any particular function. The Committee can call the representative/s or consultant/s to attend any particular Committee meeting as observers without any right to vote.
24. If a ‘power of attorney’ is signed on behalf of the Club, the following conditions must be observed: (i) the amount and terms must be exactly specified; (ii) the President and either the Secretary or Treasurer must sign the ‘Procura’; (iii) this ‘power of attorney’ must be approved unanimously by the Committee following a secret vote.
25. Every Committee members is due to assist any other Committee member according to need.
CHAPTER VI – SUB COMMITTEES
- The Committee has the right to appoint ‘sub committees’ to help in the running of the Club. These sub committees can only make recommendations to the Committee for its approval.
CHAPTER VII – POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
- The Committee administers the Club with the power invested in it by the Club’s Statute and Regulations. The Committee has the right to interpret the Club’s regulations. This interpretation can be changed only during the Annual General Meeting or during an Extraordinary General Meeting.
- Any Club member who uses the Club for his own personal or financial gain is suspended until disciplinary action is decided upon. The member may be expelled from the Club.
- The Committee elected and appointed by an Annual General Meeting to run the Club has the right to investigate, report on and act as it solely deems fit and proper as regards the behaviour of its members and any other persons present at any time in the Club’s premises. In such regard the Committee has the undisputed right to exercise its authority arising from the Club’s Statute to restrain and give direct orders over its members and persons present in the Club’s premises. The Committee has the right of full control on the Club’s premises in which its members convey. Therefore, the Committee has the power to determine and settle issues or disputes as it solely deems fit and proper including but not limitedly the suspension or expulsion of members or other persons from the Club’s premises for a determined or undetermined period of time.
CHAPTER VIII – THE AUDITORS
- The Committee has the right to appoint auditor/s, who afterwards have to be approved by the members present during an A.G.M.
- The auditors are duty bound to check all books and receipts.
- The auditors are duty bound to present a report to the Committee which should afterwards be read and approved by members present at the A.G.M.
CHAPTER IX – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (A.G.M.)
- The A.G.M. is the Club’s highest authority and should be held yearly. The Committee has up to the end of July to hold the Annual General Meeting unless there is an extraordinary reason which precludes this. In such case, the Committee will have to give an explanation in writing to the members by not later than 5 weeks before the Annual General Meeting and has up to the end of September to hold the meeting. Only those members who have paid up their membership for the season preceding the A.G.M., which closes at the end of May, can attend the A.G.M and vote in the election, if an election is due. Junior and Youth Members can only attend as observers.
- The Committee must send a circular, announcing the date of the A.G.M., five (5) weeks before the date of this A.G.M.
- The Agenda for the A.G.M. and any propositions of changes in the Statute should be sent by post to all members eligible to attend the A.G.M. two (2) weeks before the date of this A.G.M.
- Any motions or relative points which members wish to be discussed during the A.G.M. have to be presented in writing to the Secretary not later than three (3) weeks before the date of the A.G.M.
- Amendments or additions to the Club’s Statute or regulations must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present at the A.G.M. or an E.G.M. before they come into effect. New propositions or other discussions can be approved by a simple majority. Proposals for suspension of the standing rules must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Members present at an A.G.M. or an E.G.M. before they come into effect. Abstentions will not be considered as votes against.
- All prospective candidates for the Committee must have paid their membership fee for the last two consecutive years; be aged 16 years or older and have already paid their membership for the election year.
- Any member who has been welcomed back into the Club after being dismissed cannot stand for election before a lapse of five (5) years since his re-instatement.
- Any nomination must be signed by a member who proposes, and another who seconds, the proposed member, plus the signature of the member proposed, as approval of his acceptance of this nomination.
- The Committee cannot accept any nomination of a candidate who is a member of a political Party Committee.
- The Committee is duty bound to refuse the nomination of a member of bad character or whose private life is such that it can throw bad light on the Club. If such facts are known to the Committee after the member is confirmed, this member is automatically removed from the Committee.
- Any proposed member, whose name is already listed to sit for the Committee, decides not to sit for the Committee, he must inform the Committee, in writing, about his decision.
- The Committee has the right to ask any prospective candidate/s for any identification document necessary.
- During every voting process to elect a new Committee, there must be a list of names of all candidates contesting the election together with their respective passport size photograph. This list must be on display in each voting booth till the end of the voting process. All prospective candidates are to present a ‘passport’ size photo to be used during the elections.
- The A.G.M. appoints four (4) members from those who have paid up their membership, are 16 years old or over, and are also present for the meeting, three (3) to serve as Commissioners to supervise the election of the Committee and one (1) in reserve. Prospective candidates cannot serve as Commissioners.
- All General Meetings are held under the Chairmanship of the President or his deputy as provided in Chapter 5.
- This is the agenda to be discussed during the A.G.M.:
- Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous A.G.M., as well as minutes of any Extraordinary General Meeting held during the same year;
- Address by the President;
- Presentation of Audited Accounts and Financial Report by the Treasurer;
- Election of four (4) members to serve on the Commission to run the election of the new Committee;
- Appointment or confirmation of Patron/s, Hon. President/s and Hon. Members;
- Appointment or confirmation of qualified auditors for the new year;
- Any proposal and/or amendment to the Statute or regulations;
- Any other relevant matter.
- The Electoral Commission has the right to keep a list of those members who have a right to vote and they must note down the name of each member who votes.
- Voting starts immediately after the A.G.M. ends and keeps going on till all members present have voted. The voting process will also continue on the Sunday immediately after the A.G.M. from 10am till 12 noon. The counting starts immediately after the last vote has been cast.
- If after the votes have been counted there results that two or more members have the same number of votes to fill up the remaining seats on the Committee, the Commission is bound to hold a mini-election between these candidates, not later than fifteen (15) days from the date of the original election.
- Once the counting is over, election results are to be communicated to members by electronic means and, if not available, via circular. A copy of the results and all the votes cast should be kept by the Secretary for two (2) years after the elections.
- The Committee must call an E.G.M. if asked to do so by a group of not less than ten per cent (10%) of the paid-up members. The reason for this meeting should be put down in writing and the meeting must be conveyed not later than eight (8) weeks after the call is made.
- The Committee can call an E.G.M. whenever it feels the need to do so.
- The ‘quorum’ for any G.M. should not be less than 1/10 of the total number of paid-up members at the time of the G.M. If there is no ‘quorum’ at the stipulated time, the meeting is held 15 minutes later with the members present.
- The Secretary’s Report is no longer being sent by post to our members; instead, a report on a monthly basis is published in our magazine ‘Echoes from Old Trafford’ under the article ‘Club News.’
CHAPTER X – GENERAL REGULATIONS
- Any member who forms part of any Committee of any political Party cannot be appointed on any sub-committee of our Club.
- No lottery, collection or petitions, except the petition to hold an E.G.M., may be held on the Club’s premises without the approval of the Committee.
- Any anonymous letter against any Club member should be given to the President and he decides what to do with it.
- If any member wishes to appear before the Committee, he should ask the Secretary in writing and the latter is obliged to present this letter during the first Committee meeting.
- When a query arises which cannot be decided under the Statute, the Committee may give its interpretation.
- Whenever the Club, and not the Bar, is open for the public, at least one Committee member should be present.
- Whoever applies or takes over the running of the Bar, cannot form part of the Committee. If any Committee member puts in a tender to run the Bar, he should beforehand resign from the Committee. In case he is not successful with his tender, he can be re-admitted on the Committee.
- All work related to the Club must be distributed between the Committee members as necessary.
- Committee members have the right to put on the agenda any items they feel should be discussed, as long as this call is made in writing to either the President or the Secretary.
- Resignations: Committee Members who want to resign from the Committee can do so by putting their request in writing. Such resignations should be addressed to the President, except in the case of the President himself, who should address his resignation request to the Secretary. (See also Regulations Chapter 3, Clause 13).
- A Committee Meeting has the right to cancel or amend a decision taken previously during other Committee meetings.
- For games shown live at our Club, the seats in front of the big screen are reserved for our members.
- All non-members have to pay an entrance fee when they come to see games live at our Club. The fee to be charged is to be decided at the absolute discretion of the Committee on a game-by-game basis.
- Smoking is not allowed in any area of the Club.
- The Committee may, from time to time, be asked for personal information about the members of the club by Manchester United Football Club. The data collected, processed and transferred will be done so in accordance with the Data Protection Act.