AGM Minutes

 

 

 

2025 Annual General Meeting Minutes

The Holiday Inn, The Coldra, Newport, NP18 2YG

6th July 2025

I. Call to Order

Chairman Ian Lawrence (IL) officially opened the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Arsenal South Wales Supporters Club (Club) on 6th July 2025 at The Holiday Inn, The Coldra, Newport.

II. Attendance 

Secretary Craig Thomas (CT) expressed his thanks to the members for their attendance and confirmed that an official attendance register has been recorded.

III. Approval of minutes from last meeting  

The minutes of the AGM held on 7th July 2024 were circulated to all members prior to the meeting and were approved as presented.

IV. Roles of the Committee

IL introduced the current Committee members to those present and provided a brief overview of their respective roles and responsibilities.

Chairman – Ian Lawrence

  •           Responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the club
  • Liaises directly with Arsenal on official matters
  • Manages the ordering and allocation of match tickets
  • Organises coach bookings and travel arrangements

Treasurer – Richard Beale

  •           Prepares and manages the club’s annual accounts
  • Oversees the club’s bank account
  • Responsible for handling all club funds
  • Processes member refunds as required

Financial Officer – Meera Beale

  • Issues receipts for payments
  • Identifies and tracks refunds
  •       Reconciles all incoming and outgoing payments

 Secretary – Craig Thomas

  • Schedules meetings
  • Records and distributes meeting minutes
  • Maintains and updates club rules
  • Manages follow-up actions from meetings

 Membership Secretary – Linda Edger

  • Maintains the membership database and uploads / edits to Arsenal extranet.
  • Processes, advises on and deals with queries on renewals and new membership applications.
  • Develops, enhances, and maintains IT systems for membership management
  • Creates and manages digital forms and related software for operational use
  • Tracks and collates match attendance
  • Cover/back up for membership related items, if needed

Online Development Officer – Claire Foster

  •          Creates and manages match products on website
  • Issues match application newsletters
  • Provides application and coach booking data to Chairman
  • Tracks and collates match attendance
  •        Back up for membership applications/Arsenal database

Website Managers – Darren Summers & Stuart Nightingale

  • Design, update, and maintain the club’s official website

Match Day Support – Chris Lawrence

  • Acts as Match Day Official, overseeing coach operations
  • Manages ticket allocation
  • Ensures compliance with club rules on match days

IL announced that all current Committee members would be standing for re-election for the upcoming season, requiring a proposer, seconder, and a membership vote. Mike Curtis proposed the motion, which was seconded by Karen Shears. With no objections raised, all Committee members were duly re-elected for the new season.

IL invited members to consider volunteering to support the Committee in various roles. Jag Takhar offered to assist as a Match Day Support Officer. IL confirmed that an email will be circulated to all members when further volunteering opportunities become available.

In closing, IL reminded members that all Committee roles are carried out voluntarily and alongside the individuals’ regular employment. As such, there may occasionally be delays in completing tasks or responding to enquiries.

V. Club Rules

CT presented the updated club rules and code of conduct for the 2025/26 season. Following a vote, all members unanimously agreed to formally adopt the new guidelines. Any member found in breach of the latest club rules is at risk of suspension and/or permanent exclusion. The updated rules and code of conduct will be circulated to all members prior to the start of the new season.

VI. New Systems

Stuart Nightingale (SN) has established a dedicated Shopify store to streamline the application and purchasing process for membership, match tickets, and coach packages. This member-only portal provides a centralised and secure platform, ensuring that no card details or personal information are visible to the Club at any stage.

To enhance efficiency, members will only need to enter their personal and payment information once. For future transactions, the system will automatically recognise your details, simplifying the purchase process. Concession rates can be applied using specific discount codes provided by the Club.

Coach only bookings will require immediate payment.  For ticket applications, there will be no requirement for upfront payment at the time of application. Successful applicants will receive a secure payment link and will have 72 hours to complete the payment. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of the match ticket package, which will then be offered to the next member on the waiting list.

At present, group bookings are not supported. Each travelling member must submit an individual application. The Club is actively exploring potential solutions to enable linked memberships for group bookings in future seasons.

VII. Membership

Linda Edger (LE) provided an update on membership numbers. There were 452 members last season. This year, at the time of the AGM, a total of 344 members have submitted applications. The membership for this year will be capped at a maximum of 450. Existing members were given a priority booking window to renew their membership. This window has now closed, and new memberships will be invited.

All updates to personal information, such as changes to address, bank details or other personal data, must now be made directly by members through the member portal.  Any changes to personal data (excluding bank details) should also be flagged via email, to enquiries@arsenalsouthwales.co.uk, so that we can ensure the Arsenal database is updated accordingly.

RB provided an update on membership pricing.  

VIII. Finance

Treasurer Richard Beale delivered a detailed overview of the club’s financial accounts for the 2024/25 season.

IX. Ticket allocation and distribution

The Ticket application window will only open for a short period, however coach only bookings will remain open until 3 days before the game.

We aim to notify successful applicants within two weeks of our internal ticket deadline. Notifications will be sent via email and an invoice will be raised via a separate email from our Shopify site.

  • The payment link will remain active for 72 hours.
  • If payment is not received within this period, the ticket will be offered to the next person on our waiting list.
  • For away fixtures, a similar process will apply within two weeks of Arsenal confirming a game is sold out.

Please note: the start of the season tends to be extremely busy, and while we aim to stick to this timeline, there may be occasional delays. We appreciate your patience during this period.

Last season, delays in communication were largely due to late confirmation of costs and ticket arrivals. Despite assurances that tickets would be delivered well in advance, we often received them the day before, or even on the day of, the match. Unfortunately, we expect Arsenal may continue to send tickets at the last minute.

Should the ticket price differ from what was initially advised, you will be informed at the time of dispatch.

This season, we plan to use the same silver memberships throughout. All individuals whose memberships are being used have been notified. If you're unsure whether your membership is in use, please check with us.

Important: If we are using your membership and you plan to purchase your own ticket for a match, you must inform us at least one week before Arsenal's sale date. This helps avoid losing a ticket either for you or for another member.

X. Merchandise

With operations returning to normal, we will be reinstating the £1 fine for anyone not wearing one of our official badges or keyrings on matchdays.

To support this, we are pleased to announce the availability of new merchandise:

New Stock Pricing:

  • Badges – £2
  • Keyrings – £2.50
  • Scarves – £10

We also have limited stock of older merchandise available at reduced prices:

Old Stock Pricing:

  • Badges – £1
  • Keyrings – £1.50
  • Scarves – £5

Members are encouraged to purchase items in advance of the season to avoid fines and to show support for the group. Merchandise will be available at meetings and selected matchdays.

 XI. Miscellaneous

Minute of the Goal

The “Minute of the Goal” contribution will continue and will now be automatically added to the coach fare for those travelling with us.
For those not on the coach, a number will be randomly drawn on your behalf, and we will notify you if you are the winner.

Quiz Team

Arsenal hosts a Supporters’ Club Quiz, typically for teams of three.
If you're interested in representing the South Wales Supporters Club, please get in touch.

Contacting the Committee

  • General Enquiries: Unless you receive a message from a specific committee member's personal email, please send all correspondence to enquiries@arsenalsouthwales.co.uk, using a clear and relevant subject header.
  • Non-Members: All contact from non-members must also go through arsenalsouthwales@msn.com.
  • Response Times: As we are all volunteers with full-time jobs, replies may come at any time of day and may take several days depending on the query. If we are awaiting a response from Arsenal, it could take several weeks to provide an answer.
  • We will acknowledge receipt of your message, so you know it has been seen, even if a full answer is pending.
  • Please note: some queries may not have an answer, but you will still receive an acknowledgment.

Mobile Contact

Please only contact the club mobile for:

  • Matchday or travel-related emergencies
  • If you are contacted directly by us (e.g., last-minute ticket offer)

Do not use the mobile number for general questions or ongoing issues.
If you’re delayed, can’t locate the coach after the match, or are stuck in traffic, send a text or call, do not leave voicemail, as these may go unnoticed.

Coach Travel

We understand plans can change. However, if you do not intend to use the coach, please state this clearly when applying for tickets.
Ordering larger vehicles based on inflated passenger numbers increases costs unnecessarily. Similarly, if you wish to board the coach at a specific point, please confirm this clearly in advance. Last-minute changes create logistical issues.

Matchday Requirements

All attendees must bring:

  • Their Arsenal membership card
  • Photo ID

Although tickets will remain in PDF format, failure to carry the appropriate ID could result in the club losing future ticket allocations. Ticket demand & Membership Limits

As Arsenal continue to challenge for trophies, demand for tickets is greater than supply – both among supporters' clubs and the general fanbase.

To manage this, our membership is capped at 450 members. However:

  • Last season we ended with 452 members
  • The season before, 461 members

This was largely due to confusion about the joining process among existing members.
As seen last season, ticket availability is becoming difficult, though it improved toward the end of the season. For those with fewer match credits, you may have more success with mid-week fixtures

We expect another strong campaign and, therefore, high demand.
Joining before the AGM is essential to ensure you are enrolled and eligible for ticket applications.

GDPR – Data Consent

Arsenal has confirmed that GDPR legislation applies to Supporters’ Clubs.
We will continue to operate in accordance with data protection regulations, and your consent is essential for communications and ticket processing.

Other Notices

  • Shirts, names & numbers – Members will be updated soon regarding availability and ordering.
  • Raffles – Three members that attended the AGM, each won an Arsenal shirt with name and number of their choice.

XI. Transport

RB asked if members were happy to continue using the coach company, Keepings. The membership unanimously agreed.

XII. Membership Q&A

Members were invited to submit questions to the Committee in advance of the AGM. Any questions that had not been addressed prior to the meeting were discussed and answered during the session.

XIII. AOB

No matters were raised by members under Any Other Business.

XIV. Close

IL declared the 2025 AGM officially closed.