New clubs should note that there is a formal procedure for application to
join the league. Applications
from Clubs wishing to join the Amateur Football Combination must be informally
submitted to John
Maskell
(Chairman of the Amenities Committee by 31st December), and
then formally submitted to
the League Secretary by 31st March for inclusion in the constitution
for the following season. Such applications should include a completed New Club
Application Form.
This
period between 31st December and 31st March gives the Amenities Committee
time to vet the application, check ground facilities, check on
Disciplinary Records and so forth. The following information will
be required:
1.
The applicant Club should submit a list of results for fixtures played in the
current season.
2.
The Club should submit its Rules and
Disciplinary
Code, together with its accounts
for the current season.
3.
The Club should give an estimate of the number of playing members in the Club.
4.
The Club should provide details of its proposed ground and hospitality
venue.
5.
Applicants will need to be proposed and seconded by two Full Member Clubs from
the League.
If
accepted into the League, the Club will be required to affiliate to the Amateur
Football Alliance, for which you will also need a proposer and seconder. If the
League’s Executive Committee recommends your application, you will be required
to attend the League Annual General Meeting, which normally takes place on the
last Friday in June. New clubs are elected to the League at the AGM and are
placed on "probation", and normally confirmed as full members
after one year playing league football.
Prospective
new clubs should read carefully the AFC
Competition Rules and in particular note rule 2b, which requires
applications for membership to be submitted before 31st March preceding the next
season. Applications for membership submitted after this time will not be
considered. Formal applications from new clubs (not new players or
referees) should be made to John
Monk, secretary of the League.
Associate
Membership
Associate
Membership is targeted at new
clubs who are wishing to join the Amateur Football Combination in a season
or two, and may be of particular interest to Youth Clubs who are looking
to expand into Adult football. Normally such clubs are asked to "play
a season of friendlies" prior to joining the league, and Associate
Membership has been introduced to help new clubs to organise these
friendlies.
Associate
Membership allows a club to have its details published on the website and receive the weekly bulletin, in order to arrange friendly
games, but does not allow the club to play league football, nor have any
voting rights within the league. Click
here for more details about Associate Membership.
Transferring
Clubs
It
should be made clear that Associate Membership is not a prerequisite of
applying to join the AFC, and is not expected to be suitable for all
clubs. Existing adult clubs playing in other leagues are unlikely to need
or wish to apply for Associate Membership and play a season of friendlies.
As long as they make their applications by the deadlines shown above their
applications will be considered in the normal way.
