held on 20 June 2007
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Present: |
Miss S Plant |
Chairman / Girls Youth |
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Mr J Gawley |
President |
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Mr B Rea |
Vice Chairman |
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Mr M Taylor |
Hon Treasurer |
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Dr N S Wrench |
Hon Secretary |
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Mr N Chilton |
Management |
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Mrs S Marlow |
Management |
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Ms A Pope |
Management |
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Mr M Ward |
Management / South Men’s League |
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Mr T Eaude |
Development |
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Mrs K Daffey |
Umpires |
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Mr R Macer |
Boys Youth |
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Mr R Strudwick |
RDA |
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Mrs F Tierney |
Hampshire/ South Women’s League |
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Miss C Putt |
Middlesex |
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Mr M Umney |
Middlesex |
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Mr T Hilton |
Surrey |
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Ms K Peters |
Sussex |
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Mr J Murphy |
Sussex |
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1177 Mr R Beer, Ms S Etherington
1178 The Minutes were AGREED.
a) Minute 1111 – Centrally Contracted Coaches (CCCs)
1179 The Chairman reported that the posts of centrally contracted coaches had been advertised nationally but had attracted fewer than expected applicants. Progress with appointing had been slow; only two had so far been confirmed in the South. She and Mr Eaude had been involved in the interviews. In the first round Mary Booth and Richard Organ had been appointed but the final appointees from the second round were not yet known. Both Miss Plant and Mr Eaude said they were very disappointed with the process as there was a lack of partnership between the EH staff and the regional volunteers asked to assist in the assessment and appointment process.
1180 There had been a meeting to discuss deployment of the coaches but as there was as yet no agreement regarding their role with respect to regional squads the whole process was slightly ‘cart before the horse’.
b) Minute 1113 - Regional/academy sides
1181 The issue of the ongoing role for county and regional sides was raised at the recent Roadshow. Miss Plant reported there was still no underlying detail but it appeared that EH favoured blurred boundaries so eligibility issues would be contentious. What seemed to be missing so far was the way young players would be progressed. There was nothing in writing so far.
1182 Council REAFFIRMED its earlier policy decision that the Association and its counties wished to continue the intra regional county championship and participate in the inter-regional tournaments.
c) Minute 1162 - Youth Strategy Committee
1183 Mr Eaude said he welcomed the suggestion that there should be a Youth Strategy Committee (YSC). He saw the committee functioning to take the load of the youth committees which would then be more free to concern themselves with the annual operations of the squads and competitions. Jane Powell had in fact suggested a Performance Strategy Committee at EH level to manage the CCCs. He saw the YSC as a group with definite membership working closely with Network staff on continuous professional development perhaps meeting three times each year. A note setting out his early thoughts had been circulated. If Council agreed he would prepare a paper outlining detailed terms of reference.
1184 Mr Ward endorsed the proposal. Mr Macer said it now seemed the obvious way to go. The boys and girls now needed to work closely together on a number of activities. Miss Plant said girls’ youth would also endorse the outline which Mr Eaude had proposed. The Chairman thanked Mr Eaude for his suggestions. Council AGREED that the Management Committee should consider a more detailed paper.
d) Minute 1166 - National boys U15/U17 county championship
1185 Council RECORDED ITS THANKS to Tony Barber for undertaking the role of local organiser on behalf of the Association.
1186 Mr Gawley said the sand based pitch at East Grinstead was in a poor state and no longer suitable for competition use. Mr Rea said this was also his view. He suggested that it would not be possible to host tournaments requiring two pitches at East Grinstead until the pitch was renewed.
1187 Management
Committee - the following were APPOINTED:
Rich Beer, Nick Chilton, Sandra Marlow, Ali Pope and Mike Ward.
1188 Miss Plant was APPOINTED
the Association representative to the RCC and Mr Beer as the alternate member.
1190 Mr Colin Howard was APPOINTED as the independent chairman of the Disciplinary Appeals Committee.
1191 Mr Strudwick’s report on disciplinary offences to 3 March had been circulated. Mr Strudwick updated this report to 60 red card offences and 10 match day misconduct offences to 5 June. This was above last season’s number. Regrettably the tendency for violence towards umpires seemed to be increasing. Nearly all the Matchday Misconduct Offences related to verbal and physical abuse of umpires. Mr Strudwick reminded Council that both clubs and counties had the power to award penalties exceeding simple suspension and he felt Council should encourage this policy.
1192 Council deprecated the continuing high level of cards particularly where umpire abuse and violence was involved. Council ENDORSED a policy of the strongest penalties for this type of offence and reminded clubs and counties that they should consider penalties in addition to suspension. Council AGREED that the names of people banned for long periods should be notified to other regional associations and published. The Management Committee was asked to consider the detailed implementation of this decision.
1193 Council THANKED Mr Strudwick and the county disciplinary administrators for their work during the season. It also RECORDED ITS THANKS to Mr Colin Howard and the members of appeals panels for undertaking the difficult task of considering appeals. The RDA’s report was NOTED.
i) Umpires
1194 Mrs Daffey introduced her report.
1195 The Association AGM had agreed to incorporate the South Regional Young Umpire Action Group (SRYUAG) as a formal constituent of the Association.
1196 The Chairs of Selection had reported that with the restructuring of the National League there would be a greater pull on the limited resources. Mrs Daffey asked counties and clubs to support the county HUAs in the development of umpires and encourage those who were capable of coming through to the Level 2 and above to do so. SCHUA would greatly welcome, and support, new Level 2 members.
1197 Mrs Daffey said that so far the Association’s principle role had been the appointment to Saturday leagues. She hoped that in 2007-08 she would be able to bring some consistency to appointments for National Competitions where the NPUA would not be appointing. She was preparing a diary for county HUAs for next season setting out responsibilities for Sunday appointments, including boys and girls competitions. She hoped the diary would be available by mid July.
1198 In order to strengthen attendance at the SCHUA Management Meeting it had been decided to try a new venue. Next season all meetings would be at the Berks County Council Sports and Social Club, Sonning Lane, Reading.
1199 Council RECORDED ITS THANKS to all members of SCHUA for their contribution to the success of hockey in the South. Mrs Daffey’s report was NOTED.
ii) Youth – Boys
1200 Mr Macer reported. The Committee had agreed that in future the birth date for eligibility to national competitions would 1 January. For the Association’s internal county tournaments the eligibility date would remain 1 September for the 2007-08 season only.
1201 The Committee continued to be concerned at the lack of clarity surrounding national tournaments. It appeared that the national schools could be changed to some form of knockout tournament. The EH priority list no longer mentioned U14 tournaments and in this respect the Committee was not sure what it was expected to organise. Miss Plant said that the U14 tournament was to be replaced by an assessment camp but she had no further detail.
1202 Mr Macer said the Committee had noted that as things currently stood the U15/U17 regional tournaments in October would be the last and no replacement had yet been decided. This was not helpful in terms of the planning and management of the volunteer organisation.
1203 The county reps had all been appointed for the new committee and Kevin Doble would be the Vice Chairman. The Committee would use Sue Hornsby as an administrator which should help bring together much of the admin of the boys and girls committees.
1204 Kevin Doble had not still been cleared to act as CWO although he had other CRB clearance. The Chairman said she would again take the matter up with EH.
iii) Youth – Girls
1205 Miss Plant said that the minutes of the Committee meeting of 15 May had been circulated. There were several issues which needed further national consideration.
1206 The first was the issue of bench personnel in junior tournaments. This involved the question of what to do with the team physiotherapist and also the two non selected members of a squad of eighteen. EH had made a number of child protection rulings but seemed to feel that two U18 players could be left unsupervised. Mr Gawley suggested that the two players should be allowed oto the bench but clearly not dressed in playing kit.
1207 Mr Gawley said that as regards the physio he suggested some pragmatism was required. Denying the squad access to the physio during match time was clearly not sensible and detrimental to the welfare of the players. Mrs Daffey said that in her experience much depended on the tournament director. In her view a sports physio on the bench was of more use than a doctor on most occasions. In the case of a doctor being needed it was likely to be for very different reasons and he could easily be accommodated in these circumstances.
1208 Council asked Mr Rea and Mr Chilton to raise the issue surrounding numbers and personnel on the bench at junior tournaments with EH Management as a matter of child welfare.
1209 Mr Eaude asked what the Committee’s intention was regarding coaches. Miss Plant said that the principle was to advertise and have an open selection. However the role of the CCCs, with some still to be appointed, was not clear and this would inevitably impact on the process in the short term.
1210 Dr Wrench drew attention to the minute regarding illegal sticks being confiscated shortly before a tournament. He said this was not a new problem. He made two points. Team managers needed to satisfy themselves regarding the legality of players’ sticks well before the tournament date. Most judges would give some leeway at the margin such as asking for tape to be removed but manufactured oversized or over-bowed sticks were unacceptable. His advice to parents and players of new sticks rejected as not complying with the Rules was to return them to the shop as not being of merchantable quality and ask for their money back. It was AGREED to ask EH to use its best endeavours to make arrangements with manufacturers for sticks to be withdrawn from sale when under FIH Rules they were no longer legitimate.
iv) Mini Hockey
1211 Council NOTED the success of the two-day Mini Tournament Event held at St Georges and THANKED all those involved in the organisation.
v) Competitions
1212 Mr Ward reported that the Men’s Indoor tournament would take place at Eastleigh on 2 December.
1213 Mr Ward said
he was pleased to see that the EH Board had deferred a decision on U14s not
being eligible to play in leagues for five years. The Men’s League also welcomed the decision to discuss the issues
on a proper basis with leagues including the possibility of development
leagues. Given other reorganisation
plans it was unlikely that decisions on development leagues could taken or
implemented in the 2008-09 season.
1214 Mrs Tierney
on behalf of the Women’s League also welcomed the decision. There was no doubt from the League’s
researches that excluding U14s would result in the loss of teams from women’s
league hockey. The membership and
structure of the women’s game was less suited to development leagues.
1215 Mr Eaude said
in developing any thinking around development leagues it would be important to
consider how the reasonably talented were brought into league hockey from
junior and badger leagues. Mr Ward said
the South League would be surveying the current practice. Dr Wrench suggested that clubs should be the
arbiter of how they selected their teams at any stage; this was surely not a
matter for anything other than broad guidelines concerning player development.
1216 Mr Ward said the that the Men’s League Committee, in response to the wishes of the clubs, had agreed in principle that with the exception of 1st XI Premier Division 1, the South 1st XI League and the South Open League would merge with effect from season 2009/2010. Consultation on the detail would be put to clubs during the course of the coming season. Mr Hilton said there were some concerns that an open league would make recruitment to smaller clubs more difficult. Dr Wrench said this was not the experience in the women’s game where many small clubs were able to find their level and if successful gain players. Mr Ward confirmed that the decision had been taken because a clear majority of the clubs wanted the change.
1217 Mr Ward commented on the 2008-09 EHL rearrangement and its effects on regional hockey at the end of the season. At worst it could result in three teams returning to the South with consequent knock-on effects. He did not like the loss of automatic promotion either with the regional winners playing off for two places some six weeks after the end of the season. Mrs Tierney shared this concern. The Women’s League had carefully restructured, really at EH’s request, to eliminate playoffs; now EH was reintroducing them albeit for one season.
1218 Mr Rea reported that the Association’s men’s veterans’ sides had acquitted themselves well in the regional tournaments. The positions were; O40 – 2nd; O45 – 2nd; O50 – 1st; O55 – 2nd; O60 – 3rd; O65 – 1st. The women’s O40 and O45 tournaments would be held in July.
1219 The Chairman reported that Katie Dodd had agreed to organise the women’s veterans clubs’ tournament in 2008.
RCC Report
1220 Miss Plant introduced her report of the 5 June 2007 meeting which had been circulated.
1221 Concerns had been expressed at the decision to define U13 (for league
competition purposes) by the arbitrary date of 1 January; this would result in
12 year olds being able to play. If the
issue was child welfare then surely the sensible date was the child’s real birthday. Council ENDORSED this concern and AGREED
that the most logical date for determining eligibility by age in matters of
welfare was the child’s natural age.
1222 There was no Men’s U21
County Championships in the 2007-08 programme and other regions had asked for
this to be reconsidered. The following
views were expressed on behalf of counties present; Bucks No; Middlesex – would
like to try; Surrey – No; Sussex – Yes.
It was AGREED that there was probably insufficient interest in the
Region as a whole but individual counties were encouraged to participate if
they so wished.
1223 In response to the Committee’s request for a view on the location of the National Youth Festival it was AGREED that the current venue was excellent and should be retained for this tournament.
1224 Miss Plant said EH wished to know each region’s needs in relation to the regional indoor competitions next winter. Mr Ward said the South League had real problems with whole concept of an indoor priority. The 22 week South League needed Saturdays in December and January to avoid extending the season in September or April/May. Miss Pope said there was a need to tease out the issues involved. There was clearly a demand from some clubs which wished to play indoor both regionally and nationally. It was important to see how this interest could be accommodated without affecting the outdoor season for clubs not involved.
1225 Mrs Marlow said a major problem was the availability of suitable venues and officials. The restricted time slot would necessitate some parallel tournaments and this might not be possible. Mr Murphy asked if anyone knew what the role of Richard Organ was to be as he had been designated regional indoor coordinator by EH. The Chairman said she would discuss the matter with Mr Organ.
1226 The EH Board synopsis of the May meeting had been circulated. Mr Rea said he had nothing to add. The Report was NOTED.
1227 The draft Equality Action Plan had been circulated for consultation. Dr Wrench said that the document was workmanlike but read more like a company policy document, particularly where actions were concerned, rather than a document that should be trying to encompass a national sport. Nowhere were regions, counties or clubs mentioned. If the sport was to have ownership then the roles of its constituents must be clear. Mr Rea said he would take this comment back
1228 Mr Eaude said that he and the Chairman had met with the new EH RDM Sarah Etherington.
1229 One major initiative discussed was the proposed way which Junior Development Centres and Junior Academies would be identified and developed in counties, with varied levels of, but fairly substantial, funding via Sport England. The new HDOs would be very much involved in this process.
1230 It was suggested that regionally the best way to start the process would be with a meeting where the RDM, RDO and HDOs could meet with county representatives. The Chairman stressed that this would be an important meeting as there was likely to be additional funding available for development centres and counties would wish to contribute to decisions on the most appropriate use.
1231 Mr Ward wanted a definition of a development centre; would it be a club or a sub county centre? The Chairman said it would do no harm to make the RDM team aware of some of the disquiet which counties felt and discuss the very many grey areas.
1232 Council ENDORSED the need for a meeting and suggested a 26 July as a possible date. It was AGREED that each county should be asked to send two representatives. Mr Eaude said he would inform the RDM of Council’s suggestion.
1233 It was AGREED that meeting dates for 2007-08 should follow a similar pattern as in 2006-07.
1234 The following dates were subsequently set:
Tuesday 4
December 2007
Wednesday 19 March 2008
Thursday 26 June 2008 with the AGM preceding the meeting
1235 All
meetings will be at Imber Court and start at 19.00