Player Debts

The following notes are to help Clubs who have players owing money to them. All club secretaries are advised to read league rules regarding the registration of player's rule 8e.

Agreed local rule regarding debts owed to clubs (AGM 2004)

1.) No player should end their association with a club until all debts owing to the club have been discharged
2.) If a player does owe monies to a club, the club concerned should make every reasonable effort to recover these monies during the course of the season. It will not be considered that a club has made reasonable effort to recover a debt unless it can produce a copy of at least one letter to the player in which the size and breakdown of the debt is detailed and repayment is requested.
3.) All players should ask for, and be provided with, receipts for payments made to clubs. Players should lodge disagreement with a debt in writing to the club concerned, in the first instance, detailing the reasons for their disagreement.
4.) If a player who is in debt to a club requests a transfer from that club during the course of the season that he is registered with them, the club should refuse the transfer. Having refused the transfer, the club must then detail its reasons for objecting to the transfer in writing to the League's secretary and Registration Secretary as well as to the club to whom the player wishes to transfer. These details must include a summary and breakdown of the debt in question and be accompanied by the transfer form completed with the details of the player and the club to which he desires to transfer.
5.) Once an objection is lodged to a proposed transfer, the player's registration with the League will be suspended until such a time as the transfer is agreed or withdrawn. The transfer can only be withdrawn, in writing to the League's Secretary and Registration Secretary, by the player concerned.
6.) If a club agrees to the transfer, no future claims for debts owed by the player to the club will be allowed.
7.) In the event of a dispute over the validity of the debt, the club to whom the player wishes to transfer must lodge an appeal with the league against the refusal to agree to transfer. So long as the club to which the monies are owed can show that it has made every reasonable effort to recover the debt, the burden of proof in all such instances will rest with the player concerned. Receipts officially issued by the club claiming the debt will be accepted as proof. The League's Management Committee will decide on all appeals
8.) The League will not agree the transfer until such time that the club from which the transfer is being sought confirms that the debt has been discharged. This they must do, in writing, to the League's Secretary and Registration Secretary and the Club to whom the player wishes to transfer within 1 day of the debt being cleared. An official receipt must also be issued to the player by the club to whom the debt has been paid. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a fine of £10.00
9.) If, at the end of the season, a club, despite making every reasonable effort to recover its debts, finds itself owed money by a number of the players registered to them in the Cheltenham League, the details of all such players should be forwarded to the League Registration Secretary. These details should be forwarded to the League Registration Secretary on the official "Club Debts Players - CDP1" form after the last day of the season but before the date which is 7 days prior to the advised date for the League's next Annual General Meeting. Details that must be forwarded to the League Registration Secretary will be the Players name, registration number with the Cheltenham League and a summary and breakdown of the monies owed.
10.) At the Annual General Meeting the League Registration Secretary will provide all member clubs with a list of every player reported in accordance with item (9). This list will detail each player's full name, his date of birth , his address and post code, the total amount owed and the club to which the amount is owed. This list will be presented on the official "Club Debts Players - CDP2" form.
11.) No player whose name appears on the list presented to the Annual General Meeting will be able to register for any club for the following season until such time that his name has been removed from the list held by the League Registration Secretary.
12.) Names will be removed from the official "Club Debts Players - CDP2" list by the League Registration secretary once the club to whom the monies are owed confirms that the debt has been discharged. . This they must do, in writing, to the League's Secretary and Registration Secretary within 1 day of the debt being cleared. An official receipt must also be issued to the player by the club to whom the debt has been paid. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a fine of £10.00
13.) Any objections to the inclusion of a player's name on the list must be lodged with the league by the club for whom the player wishes to register for the forthcoming season. . So long as the club to which the monies are owed can show that it has made every reasonable effort to recover the debt, the burden of proof in all such instances will rest with the player concerned. Receipts officially issued by the club claiming the debt will be accepted as proof. The League's Management Committee will decide on all appeals
14.) Once the list of player debts has been drawn up by the League Registration Secretary, 7 days prior to the League's Annual General Meeting, no other claims for debts owed to clubs by players will be allowed.
15.) All clubs will pay a £5.00 Debt Management Administration fee, payable by 31st May.