The table for fees paid to agents has been released, and there’s more to get mad at here than a song that might or might not be played next season.
In total, £4,320,270 was taken out of the division by agents last season, with the Imps accounting for £129,278 of that. Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town spent the lion’s share, more than £1.5m between them
The numbers are released each year, and only ever serve to highlight one of the many reasons our game struggles. £180,000 per team is taken out of this division and goes into the pockets of a third party that have nothing to do with the actual football at all. I don’t know what the answer is, although in the past we (me and Pete) have discussed the possibility of the PFA handling contract negotiations and taking a set percentage from every fee for their upkeep. It would make more sense; agents often look to move players on for their own interests, rather than those of the club or the player. I’m sure that’s not always the case, but you can bet it is in many instances.
Indeed, off the record, I spoke to people at the club about a certain transfer this summer conducted with an agent who was off the scale for demands. How has that agent earned the right to do that? Because the player he represented wanted his best interests looked after? How can players truly believe that a man (or woman) who only gets paid when they move has their best interests at heart? It baffles me, it really does. Agents are perceived as a hidden menace in the game, lurking in the shadows, never front and centre, never being held to account for their mischief-making. I’m sure there are agents out there who are good at what they do, and do so with their player’s interests at heart, but these figures are still shocking.
Bear in mind Fleetwood, just above us in agent spend, have a wage bill of £130 for every £100 earned. Portsmouth’s is £107 for every £100 earned. Fleetwood spent £139,865 on agent fees, but that’s why it’s small change in their wider losses of £23m. Then, we wonder why football is in such a state; this is the norm. The fact we spend less on wages than we earn is credit to the board and management team (something they’re not getting a lot of today).
FULL AGENTS FEES TABLE
Sheffield Wednesday – £796,224
Ipswich Town – £779,739
Wigan Athletic – £335,774
Sunderland – £310,244
Wycombe Wanderers – £258,952
Charlton Athletic – £195,079
Portsmouth – £194,124
Oxford United – £171,934
Rotherham United – £154,612
Milton Keynes Dons – £140,994
Fleetwood Town – £139,865
Lincoln City – £129,278
Bolton Wanderers – £115,135
Burton Albion – £90,606
Shrewsbury Town – £86,618
Plymouth Argyle – £80,738
Doncaster Rovers – £79,068
AFC Wimbledon – £76,126
Morecambe – £60,666
Accrington Stanley – £59,072
Cambridge United – £55,827
Gillingham – £54,053
Cheltenham Town – £38,410
Crewe Alexandra – £3,750
Incidentally, the Imps dealt with 21 different agents throughout the year, starting with Anthony Scully’s new deal and including Joe Walsh (new deal), Jovon Makama (first deal), Chris Maguire, Nathan Kabeya (Scholarship application), Josh Griffiths, Ted Bishop, Hakeeb Adelakun, Freddie Draper, Lasse Sorensen, TJ Eyoma, Jamie Robson, Lewis Montsma (new deal), Sam Long (new deal), John Marquis, Jordan Wright, Ben House, Charley Kendall, Theo Archibald and Zack Elbouzedi