MEMBERSHIP
Season
2006/2007
Dear Branch Secretary
The following is a brief resume of the Celtic Supporters
Association, our aims and objectives, our history and our future plans and terms
of membership.
Should you at any time wish to discuss any of the matters following in greater detail, we can be contacted by telephone or email at the addresses provided below.
Aims
and Objectives
The Celtic FC Supporters Association exists to serve the interests
of its member branches by promoting and advancing the heritage, tradition and
well-being of Celtic Football Club, its Supporters Clubs and supporters.
Membership is open to all Celtic supporters clubs of twenty members or more
Membership
fee is £2 per member registered however participation in the fundraising
raffles will now be voluntary and not compulsory.
Membership
entitles branches to be represented at All
Delegate Meetings by two appointed delegates.
CSA History
The CSA has a proud history of supporting Celtic for over over 60 years and Willie Fanning from the East End of Glasgow can be named as the man whose vision and enthusiasm saw the foundation of the Celtic Supporters Association. In September 1944 he wrote to a newspaper requesting fans interested in creating a supporters club to contact him. This resulted in 14 diehards meeting in St Mark's and St Paul's Chapel Hall, Chester Street and by the end of the meeting a provisional committee was installed and Willie Fanning was elected as President.
The fledgling committee formulated a constitution that would allow for expansion to create an amalgamation of supporters clubs. Within a year the membership had risen to 700. Celtic FC embraced the objectives of the CSA which was recognised as the official supporters organisation. Celtic FC gave the responsibility of distributing match tickets to affiliated branches of the CSA and this is still in operation.
The recreation, leisure and travel side of the CSA has seen the building of two social clubs in Glasgow, the Supporters Rally, which is an annual highlight, and the purchase of a holiday flat in Benidorm. An expert travel committee organises Charter Flights and accommodation to various footballing venues throughout Britain, Ireland and the Continent.
The CSA has supported youth football for over 20 years sponsoring The Goalden Goal Trophy. A Hospital Broadcast service is controlled and financed by the Association, and has been in existance since 1954.
The new share issue in January 1995 and again in 1999, broadened the financial structure of Celtic F.C. and the Association purchased a substantial amount of shares to give the Association a realistic input into the new PLC
The new Millennium has seen the Executive Committee produce a visionary Supporters Charter which is in the hands of its affiliated branches and that document will be activated to catapult the CSA into a dynamic new future for its membership.
The CSA website has been ongoing since 2001 and the address is www.celticsupporterassoc.co.uk
The CSA have a direct line of communication with
Celtic by way of our monthly 1 to 1 Meetings with the Chief Executive and also
our monthly Working Party Meetings with the Club. Member Branches are encouraged
to contact the CSA if they have any points or suggestions which they would like
to be raised at these Meetings and we will ensure your voice is heard in the
corridors of power at Celtic Park.
THAT IS OUR PROMISE TO YOU.
All
Delegate Meetings
One of the most important benefits of your CSC becoming a member of the CSA is the opportunity to attend regular All Delegates Meetings which take place at the London Road Social Club every two to three months during the course of each season. We encourage ALL BRANCHES to avail themselves of this opportunity and ensure that YOUR CSC's voice is heard. Member branches will receive notice of all ADMs and will be kept informed of Association business by way of the Association electronic weekly Newsletter which is sent out by EC member Jim Forrest. Please make sure you are on our electronic database by supplying a Branch email contact address when registering.
Branches based 30 miles or more from Glasgow are entitled
to appoint a local delegate to ensure you are represented at All Delegates
Meetings.
Local
Delegate (Appointment Procedure)
Notification of the appointment of a local delegate to represent
branches based outwith a 30 mile radius of Glasgow must be forwarded IN WRITING
to the General Secretary, no later than the Friday proceeding the designated All
Delegates Meeting.
Regional
Delegate
A Regional Delegate can be appointed to represent up to 6 CSCs from
the same area. This is of particular benefit to Branches outwith the Glasgow
area and we encourage this procedure to ensure that you voice is heard no matter
where your CSC is based.
CHARTER
FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM
The Association document Charter
For a New Millennium was produced by the Executive Committee to share with
our membership our plans for the coming years. It outlines in great detail the
steps we hope to instigate to further develop the Association with regard to our
relationship with Celtic FC and to significantly improve the well being of our
member branches. This document is available on request.
As with any aspect of our activities, we would warmly welcome your
observations, opinions, ideas and soundings on the Charter.
LIAISON
COMMITTEE
The Liaison Committee is empowered to liaise with member branches
on a more frequent and informal level. Within the remit of the Liaison Committee
is the authority to travel to any location to meet with member, and indeed
non-member branches. For the purposes of improving the communications between
the EC and member branches and to extend
the influence of the Association far beyond our base in Glasgow, the Liaison
Committee is available to meet with YOUR branch.
The Liaison Committee represents the Association at regional
delegates meetings in Scotland (outwith Glasgow), England, Wales, Ireland,
Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, indeed wherever Celtic
supporters clubs are based. These regional conventions are dependent upon the
wishes of our member branches to request or host such meetings. The objective,
from our perspective, is to bring the Association to the branches. We are fully
committed to travel to meet our grass roots branches no matter where they are
based and already we have held successful meetings in Dundalk, Dublin, Belfast,
Halifax, Blackpool, Manchester, Blackburn, Scarbourgh, Luton, Northampton and
Edinburgh.
CONTACTING
US
CELTIC SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION
1524 London Road