Social Media Policy

Overview
Social media offers the opportunity for people to gather in online communities of shared interest and create, share or consume content. As a public-facing organisation, Coleraine Football Club (including Coleraine Football Club, Academy and the associated Harry Gregg Foundation) recognises the benefits of social media as an important tool of engagement, to communicate with and market promotions to our customers and supporters.
It is important that the reputation of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy and Harry Gregg Foundation, as well as affiliated sponsors and partners, is not tarnished in any way by anyone using social media tools inappropriately, particularly in relation to any content that directly references Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club, Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation.
When someone clearly identifies their association with Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation, or can easily be associated with Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation through their employment, in this type of open forum, they are expected to behave and express themselves appropriately and in a manner that is consistent with Coleraine Football Club’s media and communications policy.
The purpose of this social media policy is to provide some guiding principles for players, coaches, staff and volunteers of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation to follow when using social media. This policy does not apply to the personal use of social media platforms by Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation staff where no reference or inference is made to Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation or any associated partners, sponsors or projects.
Scope
This policy applies to all players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy and Harry Gregg Foundation, casual, part-time and full-time.
This policy covers all forms of social media. Social media includes, but is not limited to, activities such as:

Maintaining a profile page on social or business networking sites (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc)
Content sharing including using sites such as Flickr (photo sharing) and YouTube (video sharing)
Commenting on blogs for personal or business reasons
Leaving product or service reviews on retailer sites or customer review sites
Taking part in online votes and polls
Taking part in conversations on public and private web forums (message boards)
Editing a Wikipedia page
The intent of this policy is to include anything posted online where information is shared that might affect employees, directors, office bearers, sponsors, partners, customers, or supporters of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation as an organisation and the reputation of both the club, the Northern Ireland Football League or the Irish Football Association and the competitions associated therewith.
Guiding Principles
The web is not anonymous. Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers should assume that everything they write online, especially in open forums, can be traced back to them. Individuals should be aware that they may be personally liable to prosecution, and open to claims for damages, should your actions be found to be in breach of the law. In cases of harassment, a claim that you had not intended to harass or cause offence will not in itself constitute an acceptable defence.
Due to the unique nature of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy and Harry Gregg Foundation the boundaries between personal and professional profiles and any associated opinions and comments can often be blurred. As such, it is essential that Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers clearly acknowledge this ambiguity when posting anything online and consider at all times their connection to Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation and, as such, their role as a representative of the club.
When using the internet for professional or personal pursuits, all Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation staff must respect the brands of Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation, our partners, sponsors, the associations to which we are members, such as the Northern Ireland Football League or the Irish Football Association, as well as other staff, following the guidelines in place to ensure that the intellectual property of both Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation and our affiliated associations is not compromised and the organisation is not brought into disrepute.
Usage
All Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club, Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers using social media must operate within the Coleraine Football Club Code of Conduct when engaging with electronic communications and social media. Such use:
Must not contain, or link to, libellous, defamatory or harassing content – this also applies to the use of illustrations or nicknames
Must not comment on, or publish information that is confidential in any way

Must not bring (or be perceived to bring) Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation or the sport and any affiliated governing bodies into disrepute
Must refrain from posts supporting discrimination whether by reason of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability
Must refrain from posts of an overtly political nature – political impartiality should be maintained no matter what personal political beliefs are held
Must not be directly linked with any players aged 18 or below from a personal social networking account
Must not post named photographs of under 18s without parental/guardian agreement
Must not otherwise be in breach of the Coleraine Football Club Media & Communications Policy or Code of Conduct.
For Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation staff using social media, such use must not interfere with work commitments.
Branding & Intellectual Property
It is important that any trademarks belonging to Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation or any affiliated competition or governing body, are not used in personal social media applications, except where such use can be considered incidental – (where incidents is taken to mean “happening in subordinate conjunction with something else”)
Official Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation Blogs, Social Pages & Online Forums
When creating a new website, social networking page or forum that is in any way or can in any way be judged to be associated with Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation, care should be taken to ensure the appropriate person is given permission to create the page or forum.
Similarly, appropriate permissions must be obtained for the use of logos or images. Images of children may not be replicated on any site without the permission of the child’s parents and/or guardian.
For official Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club, Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation blogs, social pages and online forums:
Posts must not contain, nor link to, pornographic or indecent content
Some hosted sites may sell the right to advertise on their sites through “pop up” content, which may be of a questionable nature. This type of hosted site should not be used for online forum or social pages as the nature of “pop up” content cannot be controlled
Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation employees must not use official Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation pages to promote personal projects
All materials published or used must respect the copyright of third parties.
Consideration Towards Others When Using Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites allow photographs, videos and comments to be shared with thousands of other users. Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers must recognise that it may not be appropriate to share photographs, videos and comments in this way.

For example, there may be an expectation that photographs taken at private Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation functions will not appear publicly or on the internet. In certain situations, Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers could potentially breach the Privacy Act or inadvertently make Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation liable for breach of copyright.
Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers should be considerate to others in such circumstances and should not post information when they have been asked not to or consent has not been sought and given. They must also remove information about another person should they be asked to do so.
Under no circumstances should offensive comments be made about Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation, club staff or any affiliated partners or sponsors online.
Breach of Policy
Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation will continually monitor online activity in relation to the club and the sport. Detected breaches of this policy should be reported to Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation.
If detected, a breach of this policy may, following investigation, result in formal disciplinary action from Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation under the Coleraine Football Club disciplinary procedures detailed in the Club’s Code Of Conduct. A breach of this policy may also amount to breaches of other Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation documents and policies. Disciplinary action may involve a verbal or written warning or, in serious cases, termination of employment or engagement with Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation.
Consultation Or Advice
This policy has been developed to provide guidance for Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club, Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers in a new area of social interaction. Coleraine Football Club and Coleraine Football Club Academy players, coaches, directors, office bearers and volunteers who are unsure of their rights, liabilities or actions online and seek clarification should contact a member of the relevant board/committee within Coleraine Football Club, Coleraine Football Club Academy or Harry Gregg Foundation via:
secretary@colerainefc.com
academy@colerainefc.com
Please sign and return the section below to the Secretary
Declaration:
I, ………………………………………………, understand any misdemeanours or breach of this code will be
dealt with immediately and reported verbally and in writing to the Coleraine Football Club.
A serious or persistent breach of the code will result in dismissal from Coleraine Football Club. Dismissals can be appealed by the player with final decisions taken by a Disciplinary Panel set up by the Chairman of Coleraine Football Club.
Signed: _______________________________________________
Print Name: _______________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________