Leeds United see agents’ bill rise above £1million
YEP 7/9/13
by Phil Hay
Leeds United experienced a dramatic spike in payments to players’ agents last season with more than £1.2million spent on transfer and contract negotiations.
United’s outlay more than doubled in the space of a year as agents profited from a spate of deals completed by the club last summer.
The Leeds United Supporters Trust last night voiced concern over what the group’s chairman, Gary Cooper, said was a “large proportion of the club’s income spent with very little to show for it.”
Leeds’ total expenditure of £1,283,234 during the 2012-13 season was revealed in figures published by the Football League yesterday and showed a significant rise from £604,286 in the previous year.
The costs related to a total of 76 transactions including transfers, loan deals, contract extensions and contract terminations. United conducted a large overhaul of their squad in 2012 with signings made by former manager Neil Warnock climbing into double figures.
United were in the hands of former chairman and owner Ken Bates at the time and the club’s management structure has changed considerably since then following the takeover completed by GFH Capital in December.
Leeds declined to comment on the figures but speaking to the YEP, Cooper said: “It’s an awful lot of money. When you think that the club’s annual income is around the £30million mark, I’m astonished that more than £1.25million is going straight to agents.
“I appreciate that they’re part of the game and a lot of players use them but the question you have to ask is whether £1.25million on agents represents good value for money considering what the club spent on actual transfer fees.
“It’s no secret that over the last couple of years Leeds were a club who needed investment and it doesn’t help the situation when agents are earning those sorts of fees.”
Leeds completed considerably more business last season than they did in 2011-12 when transactions involving agents numbered 45.
Their bill of almost £1.3million was the fifth highest in the Championship behind Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn’s expenditure topped £3.5million, more than the entire outlay by clubs in League One and Two combined.
In all, the Football League’s 72 members spent £21.5million on agents between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, a marginal fall from the previous 12 months. More than £18.5million was paid by Championship sides.
Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “Again, this is a considerable amount of money to be leaving the game.
“However, the real challenge is to ensure that such payments are part of a sustainable financial model with clubs only spending what they can afford.
“In conjunction with clubs we’re making real progress towards this goal and now have all three divisions operating Financial Fair Play regulations.”
Agents’ fees have long been a contentious subject in the Football League and seven clubs avoided any payments to players’ representatives, Blackpool included.
One former agent, based in Yorkshire and employed until recently by a major UK firm, said: “The situation’s as good as it’s going to get.
“You’ve got to accept that every deal in the Football League involves tens of thousands of pounds at least and 95 per cent of players aren’t going to go into negotiations without representation.
“They’re not that stupid.
“Agents are here to stay and they’re entitled to earn money for what they do.
“It’s a bit like the Wild West out there but the authorities have done as much as they can by making payments transparent,
“I don’t think there’s a better way of regulating it.”
by Phil Hay
Leeds United experienced a dramatic spike in payments to players’ agents last season with more than £1.2million spent on transfer and contract negotiations.
United’s outlay more than doubled in the space of a year as agents profited from a spate of deals completed by the club last summer.
The Leeds United Supporters Trust last night voiced concern over what the group’s chairman, Gary Cooper, said was a “large proportion of the club’s income spent with very little to show for it.”
Leeds’ total expenditure of £1,283,234 during the 2012-13 season was revealed in figures published by the Football League yesterday and showed a significant rise from £604,286 in the previous year.
The costs related to a total of 76 transactions including transfers, loan deals, contract extensions and contract terminations. United conducted a large overhaul of their squad in 2012 with signings made by former manager Neil Warnock climbing into double figures.
United were in the hands of former chairman and owner Ken Bates at the time and the club’s management structure has changed considerably since then following the takeover completed by GFH Capital in December.
Leeds declined to comment on the figures but speaking to the YEP, Cooper said: “It’s an awful lot of money. When you think that the club’s annual income is around the £30million mark, I’m astonished that more than £1.25million is going straight to agents.
“I appreciate that they’re part of the game and a lot of players use them but the question you have to ask is whether £1.25million on agents represents good value for money considering what the club spent on actual transfer fees.
“It’s no secret that over the last couple of years Leeds were a club who needed investment and it doesn’t help the situation when agents are earning those sorts of fees.”
Leeds completed considerably more business last season than they did in 2011-12 when transactions involving agents numbered 45.
Their bill of almost £1.3million was the fifth highest in the Championship behind Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn’s expenditure topped £3.5million, more than the entire outlay by clubs in League One and Two combined.
In all, the Football League’s 72 members spent £21.5million on agents between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, a marginal fall from the previous 12 months. More than £18.5million was paid by Championship sides.
Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: “Again, this is a considerable amount of money to be leaving the game.
“However, the real challenge is to ensure that such payments are part of a sustainable financial model with clubs only spending what they can afford.
“In conjunction with clubs we’re making real progress towards this goal and now have all three divisions operating Financial Fair Play regulations.”
Agents’ fees have long been a contentious subject in the Football League and seven clubs avoided any payments to players’ representatives, Blackpool included.
One former agent, based in Yorkshire and employed until recently by a major UK firm, said: “The situation’s as good as it’s going to get.
“You’ve got to accept that every deal in the Football League involves tens of thousands of pounds at least and 95 per cent of players aren’t going to go into negotiations without representation.
“They’re not that stupid.
“Agents are here to stay and they’re entitled to earn money for what they do.
“It’s a bit like the Wild West out there but the authorities have done as much as they can by making payments transparent,
“I don’t think there’s a better way of regulating it.”