Dear members,

I am writing to you again to inform you of an important change to the agenda for the London FA Annual General Meeting on Monday.

The London FA Board met yesterday to review the proposal for changes to the Articles that had been included on the agenda as Item 7. Following independent legal advice on this proposal, the Board decided yesterday that the proposed changes are not in order and they cannot therefore be accepted for debate at this AGM. The reasons for this decision are that some of the proposed new Articles are inconsistent with other Articles, and if followed they would lead to the Association acting in breach of these other Articles. By not also amending some other parts of the Articles which contradict the meaning of the proposed new amendments, the proposal for changes to the Articles are unconstitutional and incomplete. 

The legal advice highlighted the following inconsistencies in particular:

• A timetable for the election of new directors has been proposed but no provision made for the end of any terms of office of current directors - which would require us to have more directors than the maximum of 12 allowed.
• The nominations committee is removed but no alternative method is proposed for selecting new Council members.
• There is a direct contradiction in the proposed amended articles regarding the right of individuals to be directors and Council members.

As a result of the above the Board has had to remove the proposed changes from the agenda of this AGM. An updated notice is attached to this email and provision has been made in the agenda to give members the opportunity to ask questions or voice any concerns.

We recognise the frustration that this late change to the agenda will generate and can assure you that all the directors and staff are committed to working with you as members to agree a proposal for a package of reforms to the current articles that can have general and widespread support.

As a demonstration of our commitment to progressing this in a timely fashion, we have immediately engaged with the proposers of Item 7. We have agreed to meet with them to seek the development of a revised package of reforms to present back to you as members that can have the support of the Board and the Council, to come back to you to vote on at an Extraordinary General Meeting. This will happen before the end of this calendar year. As part of this process we will be scheduling a series of member consultation events to allow you to fully understand the arguments and thinking behind the new proposed changes and make an informed decision when you come to vote.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday evening.

Yours,

Paul Bickerton

Chief Executive

revised agenda