SCG CONSTITUTION

Posted on: Wed 02 Jul 2008

SCG CONSTITUTION
The Norwich City Supporters Consultative Group (SCG) was set up by the Club's directors and senior management in 1996. With relations between fans and Club at an all-time low, and the Club trying to recover from a perilous financial position, it was recognised that re-uniting both parties would be crucial to the Club's future success.

The aim of the group is to help to improve communication between the Club and its supporters and to encourage frank, open and constructive discussion of the Club's policies and supporter issues on a regular basis, especially those issues which affect supporters most.

The SCG provides a forum whereby supporter members meet with senior Club officials to discuss any ideas, praise, criticisms or concerns about the Club they may have, covering activities both on and off the playing field.

Supporter members are encouraged to bring to the Club's attention any views or concerns of other supporters that they are aware of.

SCG members also help to provide a voluntary workforce for assistance in such matters as supporter roadshows, matchday assistance, Lord Mayor's Procession, Club heritage, monitoring catering and away travel arrangements

Membership of the SCG is entirely voluntary and members receive no remuneration or additional benefits.

COMPOSITION
The original membership invited by the Club to form the group included many members of existing supporter organisations. Others were drawn from away travel coaches, while some individuals were hand-picked for their particular knowledge or experience.

The SCG continues to be chaired by Norwich City Football Club Chairman Roger Munby and has a current total membership of 22, including seven Norwich City Football Club representatives and 15 supporters.

The Group will at all times include a minimum of 14 supporter members and a maximum of 20. Each main SCG meeting will be attended by at least one NCFC Board Director (unless prevented by unforeseen circumstances) and one member of the Club's senior management team. Other members of staff or other individuals will be invited to attend meetings when appropriate.

The Group will hold an annual review of its composition and effectiveness.

The full list of current SCG members can be found here

SCG Working Groups
The SCG has recently formed a number of working groups to investigate and tackle specific issues. Such work in the past has led to the formation of separate entities such as FONCY (Friends of Norwich City Youth) and the Norwich City Football Club Historical Trust.

Each Working Group Chairman establishes annual objectives for their group in conjunction with its members and reviews progress and performance against these objectives at each meeting. A short written report by each group is distributed to each main SCG meeting and the Chairman will make a presentation to the SCG on an annual basis.

SCG WORKING GROUPS:
Away Match Experience
The group reviews all aspects of the away supporter matchday including travel and ticketing arrangements, to make recommendations for improvement.

Home Match Experience
The aim is to have supporter representatives from different areas of Carrow Road reviewing all aspects of the supporter matchday experience and making recommendations for improvement.

Pricing
This group meets to discuss season ticket and membership pricing with Club officials and helps to formulate the pricing policy for the next season.

SCG Member Selection
Meets on an ad-hoc basis to undertake the recruitment process for new SCG and working group members.

Image and Identity
This working party was formed to discuss the use of the Norwich City Football Club's brand image, including the Club crest and fonts in the commercial market place and to promote the Club generally.

Disabled
Main focus of the group is to continue to enhance the matchday experience and raise awareness of facilities available at Carrow Road for all disabled football supporters. The group's largest success has been the creation of the annual Ability Counts Disability Awareness Day.

Young Supporters
The aim of the group is to continue to develop young supporters' initiatives such as Soccer PM! and the junior member scheme.

Long Distance Supporters
The purpose of this group is to identify the most appropriate ways of communicating Club news, products and promotions to supporters who live outside the Eastern region and to develop a constructive relationship with different supporter clubs and groups.

Travel Plan
To investigate and help improve transport links in and around Carrow Road for the benefit of supporters by engaging with relevant external agencies. SCG Communications

Looking at ways to publicise the SCG and it's work to enable supporters to use it as a method of feeding their views into the Club.

RECRUITMENT OF NEW MEMBERS
Membership of the Supporters Consultative Group is by invitation of the Club. When an existing supporter SCG member leaves the Group for whatever reason, replacements will be invited by the Club from all areas of the supporter base to join in their place.

Any vacancy or vacancies will be advertised through the various Club media to supporters and interested parties invited to apply in writing. Where practicable all applicants will be interviewed by an SCG appointment sub-committee set up for this purpose.

The sub-committee will include at least two NCFC staff SCG members and at least two supporter SCG members. Staff shall not outnumber supporter members on the appointment sub-committee.

The group shall appoint one new supporter member per year to a maximum of 20. When this point is reached the Group will discuss its future composition.

The number of NCFC staff members on the SCG shall never outnumber the number of supporter members.

MEETINGS
The SCG will meet as a whole at least four times a year, with these meetings chaired by Roger Munby or an appointed alternative NCFC Senior Manager in his absence.

Working Group meetings will take place regularly as required and directed by the group's Chairman.

Minutes of Meetings
Main SCG minutes can be found here

CONTACTING THE SCG
Supporters are able to contact any supporter member of the SCG by writing to them:

c/o Supporters Consultative Group, Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Road, Norwich NR1 1JE

or email SCG@ncfc-canaries.co.uk