The Football League have reported an 18% decrease in agents fees.
The latest publication of Football League clubs' spending on agents' fees has revealed that clubs committed a total of ÂŁ17.7m to agents during the 2013/14 season, a reduction of 18% on the previous year (ÂŁ21.5m).Championship clubs accounted for ÂŁ14.7m of the total, with League 1 and League 2 clubs spending ÂŁ2.3m and ÂŁ0.6m respectively. Clubs committed to pay agents in 860 of the 3,355 player transactions that took place.
Four clubs did not spend any money on agents’ fees at all (Shrewsbury Town, Accrington Stanley, AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool United) with more than a third of clubs (26) spending less than £25,000 each.
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.Â
“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.”
Analysis
The Football League (12/13 figures in brackets)
•   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.
Championship
•   There were 1,315 (1,341) player transactions in 2013/14 of which 459 (431) included the use of an agent
•   In 2013/14 Championship clubs committed to pay £14,717,020 in agents’ fees compared with £18,567,305 in the previous year, a fall of 21%
•   All of the 24 clubs in the Championship committed to pay agents’ fees in 2013/14.
League 1
•   1,075 (1,153) player transactions took place in League 1 during this reporting period. Of those transactions, 259 (221) involved the use of an agent
•   Clubs committed to pay £2,348,440 (£2,261,020) in agents’ fees in 2013/14, a 4% increase on last year
•   Of the 24 clubs in League 1 only Shrewsbury Town did not commit to any agents’ fees in 2013/14.
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.
Read the full report here.