What Committee Members Need To Do: Home Fixtures

BEFORE THE MATCH

• Arrange team selection and communicate all relevant arrangements to your players. You are also responsible for ensuring that everyone who is playing is a paid up member – Membership checks will be carried out throughout the season again this year and fines will be imposed where non payers are found to be playing.


• Arrange for transport if you are playing at home but based at a facility where transport is required (e.g. Nelson Hall, Baseline Tennis Centre, Beaconside for Stoke teams, Sir Stanley Matthews for Stafford teams). Please click here for our guide to arranging transport for fixtures.


• Check the fixtures spreadsheet and BUCS website on a regular basis to find out the arrangements for forthcoming fixtures or to check for cancellations or postponements – Final details will be online after 5pm on a Monday for the coming Wednesday. Any information shown prior to this time is UNCONFIRMED and could still change so please check back after the deadline for final arrangements. If there are any changes after 5pm on a Monday then your Captain will be contacted directly.


• Give at the very least 48 hours notice to rearrange or cancel a fixture - If you give less than 48 hours notice for reasons other than bad weather BUCS rules state that your team will be liable for any costs incurred by your opposition and you will automatically concede a walkover.
• Note on walkovers: If you concede 3 or more walkovers in the league, the team will be fined £50 by BUCS and you will not be eligible to play in Cup competitions. Due to this rule, if you concede two walkovers you will be called in for a meeting with the Activities Manager and the team may be removed from BUCS leagues. If you concede a late walkover in a cup competition then BUCS rules state a £300 fine will be applicable - even if it is your first walkover. Please see us ASAP if conceding a cup walkover is likely.


• Book your match officials as early as possible and ensure that you have the means of paying them on the day. To save hassle it is worth booking officials for all match dates at the start of the season. Ensure that you agree a fee and then nearer the actual date agree a meeting time/place and that a Captain meets the person on the day. Don't forget to let the official know ASAP if your game is cancelled.
• Paying Officials: If you wish to pay using club funds then a claim form needs to be submitted 5 working days in advance of the money being required. Otherwise claim it back afterwards but either way don't forget to keep a receipt for any money paid out and ensure it is attached to the claim form.


• If you have arranged post match refreshments then please communicate details to your opposition. Your fixtures co-ordinator will not do this, so please contact the opposition directly with the information, or contact their fixtures co-ordinator (details in your BUCS handbook) and ask for contact details for the team, or for the message about refreshments to be passed on.


• Check the oppositions kit colours via the BUCS website and arrange to change your kit if there is a clash and you are the home team. BUCS rules state home team changes, so please comply with this. If the colours are not on the BUCS website then they may be on the facility bookings spreadsheet, so please check there as well. Your kit colours are sent out to all opposition AU offices so you do not need to provide them with this information - please make sure you keep the Fixtures Co-ordinator up to date with any kit colour changes so we can communicate these to oppositions.


• Submit your team sheet before 11am on the day of the fixture - you can submit team sheets up to a week in advance if you already know your team. You can email these to your Fixtures Co-ordinator or hand them in directly to the Activities Department.

ON THE DAY

• Meet and greet your opposition and any officials and show them to the changing facilities and playing area. Sports Centre staff are not there do this, so please ensure you are showing correct sportsmanship and greeting all opposition and officials. If you are playing at Nelson Hall please ensure someone is at the appropriate Sports Centre to greet opposition, unless they have let you know they are travelling straight to Nelson Hall.


• Carry a fully stocked 1st Aid Kit to all fixtures.


• Be aware of the emergency procedures for home and away games. Please only use the phone number listed for emergency situations where you or someone else are in imminent danger. This does not include breakdowns - please see the transport section for advice on breakdowns.


• Report any accidents to your fixtures co-ordinator as soon as is reasonably practicable after the event but within 24 hours.


• Ensure that Captains are contactable on the day of the game so that staff can liaise with you if there are any problems. We often get calls saying traffic has been a problem - please ensure we can pass the message on to you!


• Ensure that you have a copy of the BUCS handbook and a Playing under Protest form with you for all games!

• PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE REPRESENTING STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY AND THE STUDENTS’ UNION.

  Every club shall be responsible for ensuring that its players, officials and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers conduct themselves in an orderly fashion whilst attending or taking part in a match or competition in which it is involved

AFTER THE MATCH

• Report your results ASAP - there are several ways you can do this, but please make sure it is done by 9am the following day at the very latest!
• Report by text: text stating your team & sport, the opposition team and the scoreline to 07903 098403.
• Report by email: email stating your team & sport, the opposition team and the scoreline to activities@staffs.ac.uk.
• Report by results card: hand your BUCS results card in to the Activities Department or Union Reception at either College Road or Beaconside.


• Report any accidents to your fixtures co-ordinator as soon as is reasonably practicable after the event but within 24 hours.


• Ensure your completed results card is handed in to Activities by the end of that week - we need to see proof of officials and a signed results card if there are any queries from the BUCS office. If we do not have your results card it may lead to any appeal or queries being found in favour of the oppsition, so dont led slow reporting cause you to lose a match!