Agents Fees Report

THE Football League has released the latest details on clubs' spending on agents' fees in 2013-14.

The publication revealed that clubs committed a total of £17.7m to agents during the 2013-14 season, a reduction of 18% on the previous year (£21.5m).

Championship clubs accounted for £14.7m of the total, with League 1 and League 2 clubs spending £2.3m and £0.6m respectively. Clubs committed to pay agents in 860 of the 3,355 player transactions that took place.

In announcing the latest agents' fees figures, The Football League’s Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “The 2013-14 campaign was the first season against which sanctions will be applied in all three of our divisions under The Football League’s Financial Fair Play rules.  It is therefore notable that we have seen a significant fall in payments to agents.  Hopefully this is a sign that they are having a positive effect but it’s too early to know for definite at this stage. 

“Whilst a reduction of £4m is welcome there is still a very significant sum leaving the game to pay agents.  Under the financial reporting arrangements in place for clubs these liabilities are provided for in club business plans going forward.”

•    Between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 Football League clubs engaged in 3,355 (3,746) player transactions (new registrations/ player transfers, contract updates, contract cancellations and loans)
•    Clubs agreed to pay an agent in 860 (776) of these transactions
•    League clubs committed to pay £17,719,020 (£21,502,362) on agents’ fees in this reporting period, a reduction of 18% on last season
•    During 2013-14 reporting period 4 (7) clubs did not commit any money to agents’ fees.  Those 4 clubs are Shrewsbury Town, Accrington Stanley, AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United
•    14 (14) clubs paid less than £10,000 pounds to agents and 26 (24) clubs paid less than £25,000 over the period July 2013 to June 2014.

League 2

•    In League 2, 965 (1,252) player transactions took place of which 142 (124) involved the use of agent
•    In 2013-14 clubs agreed to pay £594,494 (£674,037) on agents’ fees, a 12% reduction on 2012-13
•    3 (4) clubs committed no money to agents’ fees in 2013-14.  Those clubs were Accrington Stanley, AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United.