Spending on agents fees 17-18

[oaklandrdblade]

Link to a PDF in this article shows we spent just over £650k on agents fees from Feb 17 - Jan 18, only Burton, Ipswich and Millwall of the Championship clubs spent less. Villa and Sunderland the highest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43632830

 

[Rodley]

Well half of the year we were in L1 as were Millwall so to be expected it’s lower.

 

[oaklandrdblade]

Well half of the year we were in L1 as were Millwall so to be expected it’s lower.

Yes it is as expected, missed Bolton who were lower as well. Interesting that Wolves didn't spend more given their links to Mendes - maybe that he gets paid in a different way

 

[wizadry]

I’m definitely in the wrong trade.

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

I’m definitely in the wrong trade.

Ask The Crab at Crab Industries if theres any agents jobs going at one of their shell businesses!

 

[The Crab]

Ask The Crab at Crab Industries if theres any agents jobs going at one of their shell businesses!

Come on Jonny, you know what happened to CI.......................



I'm all about Mablethorpe Crazy Golf these days

 

[Sean Thornton]

I’m definitely in the wrong trade.

Is it Rough?

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

Come on Jonny, you know what happened to CI.......................

View attachment 38313

I'm all about Mablethorpe Crazy Golf these days

Was that because Will Griggs agent was on fire??

 

[blader]

Which is just another one of the club’s ‘excuses’ knocked off. They can talk about ‘not being held to randsom’ all they want, but that brings with it limitations. If we don’t pay the fees, someone will , and they get that player. It’s a horrible, dirty side of the game, but one we either need to accept or face being left behind on the ground of ‘principles’.

There is sadly no way around this at all. They’re the dealers that hold all the cards and they exploit it for their own gain. I have a friend that plays for port vale who tells me many a story about how players were sold without any consultation (to the current employer or them personally) until the last second, but knowing that the agent has done it to take a pretty cut out of the deal.

We can hate them for it, but it just is modern football. Or as someone has put more concisely before me - don’t hate the player, hate the game!

 

[tomtheblade]

Which is just another one of the club’s ‘excuses’ knocked off. They can talk about ‘not being held to randsom’ all they want, but that brings with it limitations. If we don’t pay the fees, someone will , and they get that player. It’s a horrible, dirty side of the game, but one we either need to accept or face being left behind on the ground of ‘principles’.

There is sadly no way around this at all. They’re the dealers that hold all the cards and they exploit it for their own gain. I have a friend that plays for port vale who tells me many a story about how players were sold without any consultation (to the current employer or them personally) until the last second, but knowing that the agent has done it to take a pretty cut out of the deal.

We can hate them for it, but it just is modern football. Or as someone has put more concisely before me - don’t hate the player, hate the game!

It's not black or white though. There's degrees to how much you can conform to the system.
We could just pay whatever every agent wants everytime and make every deal. This would be a surefire way to gain a reputation as a weak negotiator and get repeatedly shafted. Alternatively, we can play hardball and miss out on a few deals with the potential of putting ourselves in a better position in the longrun.

If we can come as far as we have done and do as well as we have with this current methodology, personally i'm happy to continue. I don't think agent fees are the ceiling that's holding us back.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

How are these fees worked out? Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought that the agent took part of the salary e.g. Billy earns 10k p/w his agent takes 10% of that. Or is it upfront fees or is it a combination of the 2?

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

I still don’t know why players need an agent. Is it because they’re so busy they can’t answer their phone or are they too dense to do it themselves?

“My client wants a pay rise” - does he? Lost the ability to speak has he?

 

[Geordie Blade]

I still don’t know why players need an agent. Is it because they’re so busy they can’t answer their phone or are they too dense to do it themselves?

“My client wants a pay rise” - does he? Lost the ability to speak has he?

Since the widespread use of agents in the early 1990s, footballers’ wages have increased at around 25x the rate of inflation. Sadly, they are very effective at what they do.

 

[alcoblade]

Since the widespread use of agents in the early 1990s, footballers’ wages have increased at around 25x the rate of inflation. Sadly, they are very effective at what they do.

It’s not all the same cause and effect, I suspect.

Sky money has driven the enormous wages, allowing agents to thrive and live off the fat.

 

[Rob86]

Yes it is as expected, missed Bolton who were lower as well. Interesting that Wolves didn't spend more given their links to Mendes - maybe that he gets paid in a different way

I think Mendes is actually employed by Wolves so maybe gets an agreed salary

 

[Rodley]

I still don’t know why players need an agent. Is it because they’re so busy they can’t answer their phone or are they too dense to do it themselves?

“My client wants a pay rise” - does he? Lost the ability to speak has he?

A footballer won’t have a working knowledge of contract law nor the market. Suspect football employment contracts are fairly complex. Given the figures involved and the short careers they have, i’d have an Agent every day of the week.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

How are these fees worked out? Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought that the agent took part of the salary e.g. Billy earns 10k p/w his agent takes 10% of that. Or is it upfront fees or is it a combination of the 2?

The modern agent will take money from the selling club, the buying club & his player.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

A footballer won’t have a working knowledge of contract law nor the market. Suspect football employment contracts are fairly complex. Given the figures involved and the short careers they have, i’d have an Agent every day of the week.

Neither do agents.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I think Mendes is actually employed by Wolves so maybe gets an agreed salary

Wolves say he is merely an "advisor" and not in charge of recruitment.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Wolves say he is merely an "advisor" and not in charge of recruitment.

I believe Mendes is an employee of Fosun, the group that own Wolves.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Neither do agents.

They’d probably have more knowledge than a player. But I doubt they have a masters degree in European employment laws.

Surely a player can tell a club what he wants without paying a portion of his money to someone

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

 

[Bladezz]

Shows again how far financially we are behind the teams in the championship.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

A footballer won’t have a working knowledge of contract law nor the market. Suspect football employment contracts are fairly complex. Given the figures involved and the short careers they have, i’d have an Agent every day of the week.

Sadly, and I know one, agents are no more qualified in employment contract law than the player in most cases. Also, as a player you pay a healthy subscription to the PFA, part of which pays for them to appoint a legally qualified solicitor to act on your behalf in any contract negotiations, disputes or transfers. And there's no 10% to divvy up, and the solicitor is simply there to represent you and isn't thinking about how much more they can squeeze out of this for themselves. I'd join Paul Scholes, James Milner and a few others and never, ever have an agent. The biggest expensive folly of the facile life that is the modern footballer, speak to my agent. Right, off to the twats thread!

 

[stringer]

Sadly, and I know one, agents are no more qualified in employment contract law than the player in most cases. Also, as a player you pay a healthy subscription to the PFA, part of which pays for them to appoint a legally qualified solicitor to act on your behalf in any contract negotiations, disputes or transfers. And there's no 10% to divvy up, and the solicitor is simply there to represent you and isn't thinking about how much more they can squeeze out of this for themselves. I'd join Paul Scholes, James Milner and a few others and never, ever have an agent. The biggest expensive folly of the facile life that is the modern footballer, speak to my agent. Right, off to the twats thread!

Scholes had/has an agent

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Scholes had/has an agent

It used to be the same one as Giggs & Keegan & Robson & Harvey Smith.

 

[Whiston Blade]

A footballer won’t have a working knowledge of contract law nor the market. Suspect football employment contracts are fairly complex. Given the figures involved and the short careers they have, i’d have an Agent every day of the week.

I don't agree with that. I managed to see Carlos Tevez & Aleksandar Kolarov's contract at Man City due to the work I do and it was no more than two A4 sheets of paper. The first sheet was basically a wall of text which you would need a solicitor to look over just in case something sneaky was put in but the second sheet was the juicy part which you didn't need anyone to look over other than yourself. It listed their weekly/yearly wage then all additional bonuses including crazy shit like a bonus for coming on as a sub, scoring as a sub, unused sub etc...

You don't need an agent to negotiate a good wage but it's advisable to have a solicitor to look over the contract your signing just to make sure you totally understand what it is you're agreeing to.

 

[Geordie Blade]

It’s not all the same cause and effect, I suspect.

Sky money has driven the enormous wages, allowing agents to thrive and live off the fat.

Agreed that it's not all down to agents, but to say that they haven't helped shift some of the power from club directors to players is being a bit naive. From The Secret Footballer:

"So what would you do if you were in my shoes? Negotiate your own deal? Good luck. Clubs are ruthless. It doesn't matter if you are top dog, man of the moment, fans' favourite – and I've been there – they'll screw you every chance they get. Players need agents, no question, but finding a good one, I mean a really good one, is fraught with difficulty. Get it wrong and you could be celebrating your 35th birthday with the "help wanted" section rather than a Hello! exclusive. Get it right and you could end up with everything you ever wanted, and more."

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Scholes had/has an agent

I think Harry Swales would have described himself as a 'representative' rather than an agent. He was certainly very 'old school' and was in his late 70s when Scholes retired. He was certainly not an 'agent' as most would understand within football since the 90s.

 

[davidblade]

Well half of the year we were in L1 as were Millwall so to be expected it’s lower.

Yes but the two transfer windows are in that accounting period