Club Secretary

We are Wanderers Football Club. We are The World’s Club. We have a remarkable story that began over 150 years ago and which you can considerably influence, through your leadership, effort, and vision.

This is no ordinary role. This is an extraordinary opportunity to add your name to the annals of footballing history by shaping our future.

Formed in 1859, Wanderers were the preeminent force in English football and the first London club to be open to members from all walks of life. The team lifted the first FA Cup in 1872, retained it in 1873, and were the first team to win it three years in a row between 1876 and 1877. In the face of a sporting revolution, the club folded in 1887 but were resurrected in 2009 to raise money for charity. Subsequently, we restaged the first FA Cup Final at The Oval in 2012; travelled to eight different countries to play against 17 different clubs; had over 60 different nationalities represent the club (leading to the adoption of the identity “The World’s Club”.

Wanderers has been successfully running for 15 years and currently comprises a weekly 7-a-side drop-in game, two weekly training sessions, a Men’s Saturday XI, and a Men’s Sunday XI. Previously, the club have run up to three Men’s Saturday XIs and a Women’s XI. In that time, over 1,000 players have worn the club’s iconic colours and over 800 matches have been contested. The team secured several promotions from level 17 to level 13, just two steps below the English national league system.

We are a football club, but we want to be at the heart of something much bigger. The club was reformed with a clear goal to change the world by doing what we love – since that reformation, more than £5,000 has been contributed to good causes and we continue to encourage members to help their local community and promote charities whose objectives match our own. Together, we can achieve greater things. And to achieve greater things we need a great team, and this is where you come in. With the right post-holder, those numbers can be eclipsed.

Job Title: Club Secretary

Job Purpose: The Club Secretary is the club's senior administrative officer. The Club Secretary is responsible, in conjunction with other volunteers, for ensuring that Wanderers Football Club operates in line with its constitution, by-laws, policies, and procedures, and in the successful management of the organisation.

Club Ethos: The Club has established an ethos which it expects all members and volunteers to work towards:

• WINNER - To prepare every team & every player to perform to their best.
• IDEALIST - To promote an idealistic vision of how football should be enjoyed.
• GUARDIAN - To be guardians of the heritage of the Wanderers Club.
• ALTRUIST - To raise funds which benefit causes chosen by club members.

Responsibilities: The tasks of the Club Secretary are as follows;

• Strategic decision-making and planning to ensure the long-term success of the club,
• Convene all committee meetings and Annual General Meetings in collaboration with other volunteers,
• Prepare and distribute the meeting agenda, supporting documents, and any other necessary information or reports for meetings,
• Maintain meeting minutes and that meeting-related activities are carried out,
• Attend all relevant meetings, where the club is expected to be in attendance, including, but not limited to, league meetings,
• Supporting the Head Coach / Team Managers and Assistant Managers with administration relating to their respective teams,
• Manage all general club correspondence and serve as the primary point of contact,
• Maintain a record of the most up-to-date version of all club documents, ensuring that it stays current and in accordance with industry standards, including but not limited to the club constitution, bylaws, policies and procedures, terms of reference, etc.,
• Coordination and maintenance of the Club’s FA Member Services system in respect of player registrations, disciplinary matters, and records, i.e. suspensions, cautions, fines, etc., including, where necessary, any appeals,
• Be responsible for negotiating and arranging transfers and loans of players between clubs,
• Liaise with other clubs, league officers, and match officials to ensure the smooth running of all fixtures, in collaboration with the Fixtures Secretary,
• Complete and file annual accounts to HMRC, in collaboration with the Treasurer,
• To ensure roles within the club are filled, including but not limited to, Head Coach / Team Manager, Treasurer, Fixtures Secretary, Welfare Officer, and other officers,
• Organise the annual overseas tour,
• To propose, where necessary, the creation of roles within the club to whom specific tasks may be delegated, and to advertise these roles to both members of the club and the public,
• Purchase or renewal of Public Liability Insurance and Personal Injury Cover in accordance with affiliation and competition rules,
• Communicate with the general public, connected organisations, supporters, members, and other external bodies,
• Share with club members and volunteers, in relation to changes in laws, policies, rules, etc., training and personal development opportunities, and personnel changes,
• Ensuring that Wanderers Football Club operates in compliance with the rules and laws of the regulatory bodies, leagues, and county Football Associations,
• Act always with utmost good faith to Wanderers Football Club,
• Other duties as reasonably required to support the club’s success.

However, the role is such that the post-holder can determine further responsibilities, as they see fit. Furthermore, some of these responsibilities can be delegated to other Club Officers or volunteers.

Key Relationships: The Club Secretary will work closely with the Club Committee, which is comprised of the volunteers within Wanderers Football Club, according to the Constitution.

The President, Treasurer, and Head Coach / Team Managers may be most important for the day-to-day operation of the club.

Appointment & Tenure: The Club Secretary will hold the post for a rolling period of 12 months . This appointment is automatically extended for a further 12 months, unless one of the following occurs;

1. The Club Secretary may choose to step down from the role at any time, but should do so in writing to the President, or other senior club official, with a minimum of 3 full calendar months’ notice .
2. The Club Committee may hold a vote of no confidence at an Extraordinary General Meeting to remove the Club Secretary, in line with the Wanderers Football Club Constitution.

Time Commitment: The role requires the post-holder to be an active participant in Wanderers Football Club. However, this does not mean that there are expectations about playing or coaching; they are welcome to do either, in addition to carrying out the responsibilities of the Club Secretary. On average, the Club Secretary may need to set aside 4-5 hours per week in which to complete the essential duties of the role.

Qualifications and Experience: We require any candidate to have one or more of the following qualifications and experience;

• Previous experience within a football league or football club, or experience of league or club administration within another sport,
• Experience playing, coaching, or working at a football club above level 13 in the English Football League Pyramid,
• Any experience working within administration / operations,
• Any experience working in a commercial environment,
• Any volunteer experience within a non-profit organization,
• Some experience with IT and a range of software, including but not limited to, all Microsoft Office programmes and email.

Knowledge and Skills: The Club Secretary should ideally have the following organisational and personal skills;

• High level of attention to detail, including good organisation and planning skills,
• Good time management and organisational skills, 
• A hardworking and enthusiastic individual with a ‘can do’ attitude / mindset,
• A genuine team player with good interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships,
• Effective communication and organisational skills,
• Trustworthy and adherence to codes of conduct and ethics.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Wanderers Football Club’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of age, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status or civil partnership race, nationality, ethnicity (race), religion or belief, ability or disability, pregnancy or maternity and to encourage equal opportunities (Protected Characteristics, Equality Act 2010).

Officers of Wanderers Football Club must ensure a positive commitment towards equality, diversity and inclusion by treating others fairly and not committing any form of direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation or harassment of any description and to promote positive working relationships between all internal and external stakeholders.

Contract Terms:

• The Club Secretary position is a voluntary role , but a loyalty payment of £100 per calendar month is offered to reward the good-running of the organisation,
• The post-holder can claim for the following expenses;
• Travel to and from meetings, matches, and training,
• Wanderers FC branded clothing for use within the scope of the role (including playing in matches and participating in training) up to a value of £150 per annum,
• Annual Membership, training fees, and match subs waived (uncapped)
• 10% incentive payment for all commercial partnerships agreed by the Club Secretary and/or Club Officer responsible for sponsorships,
• After each year in the position, the Club Secretary will be rewarded with 5% of unissued shares, up to a maximum of 45%, in Wanderers Football Club Ltd.

NB. The total amount for loyalty payments, expenses, clothing, and commercial incentives cannot exceed £6,396 per annum . The value of waived Annual Membership, training fees, and match subs and shares issued is not included in this figure.