Agents, Transfers and The Love of the Game

by Steve Candy

Like mineral water and volcanic rock it seems that all money in football must now be filtered through agents. I don’t want to attack agents; it happens often enough and in my opinion they thrive because football needs them to exist. In order to go back to ‘the good old days’ we would first have to remove 24/7 television coverage, the internet, mobile phones and players’ inability to speak for themselves.

If anything I feel that agents need to become more visible so they could be more accountable for the things that affect the game we love. Imagine the build up to a game being enhanced by each player walking onto the pitch individually accompanied by a generic theme and their agent. The agents could be hooked up to a microphone so they could promote their players live and secure even greater image rights deals. The agents could be given an opportunity to interfere with matches thus furthering rivalries between teams and individual players. The most high profile of these rivalries could come to a head at a heavily sponsored and publicised showdown, why don’t we call it SoccerMania?

It could take place somewhere in the United Arab Emirates to maximise revenue opportunities. We also wouldn’t have to worry so much about the World Cup and all the continental prizes on the international stage because the smaller nations and clubs wouldn’t matter anymore. They could be the warm-up acts to Pini Zahavi’s main event.

The scary thing is that I’m not so sure that a less exaggerated version of this isn’t far away. The 39th game, European Super League and third party ownership of players are all too tangible facets of ways that the game is being taken forward. In it’s purest form, football is essentially a simple yet beautiful game. That’s why we like it so much. I feel football has gone too far down a gold paved road and it can’t turn back.

I’m just scared that my cynicism is going to turn into resentment. When your team exit a domestic cup competition and you’re not too bothered or you can understand why a manager picks an under strength team in a European club competition are you being affected by the changes in the game? Are we guilty of having our cake and eating it?

I get excited watching the sports news channels on deadline day. I believe the reason for their continued life is the recently born phenomena of August and January 31st. The borderline hysteria generated is brilliant, particularly the fans that gather around the cameras perhaps wearing something that indicates the nationality of their rumoured star and the rumours that fly in from all quarters: ‘Djemba-Djemba to be player/assistant manager at Swindon’, ‘I swear I saw someone like Lionel Messi’s brother in Kensington’ ‘Mike Ashley has made a good decision regarding Newcastle’ etc.

However, it can be said that transfer deadline day is indicative of the rise and rise of the football agent. Would the multitude of signings even take place were it not for these high earning go-betweens? We know agents aren’t here for transfers alone, players can’t negotiate their own contracts, but they can’t happen these days with two clubs and the player alone. So what could be done to take some of the power away from agents that has been given to them by the game?

Steps to help reduce agents’ influence

As written earlier we cannot go back to what is perceived as simpler, better times for the game. We need to continue moving forward but on a less destructive path. Is it reasonable to limit the amount of monetary transfers that take place between clubs a year? If any club could only make, say three, transfers with a fee between August 1st – July 31st would that lead to a more orderly system for clubs to operate without the need for outside assistance? If that is in place how about capping the maximum amount that any club can spend on agent’s fees? Subsequently their hold on the game would lessen.

What I am suggesting may seem like an attack on Manchester City’s financially assisted rebuilding and this is not the intention. I do think however that a significant number of young players that could have been brought through Manchester City’s excellent youth programme have been stopped because of it. Would a cap on transfer amounts and quantity have a positive effect on the development of youth, allowing home grown players a more substantial chance?

If only three players could enter and three leave a club during any August-July period would players and clubs be more willing to honour contracts? Would the need for renegotiation lessen and therefore negate the need for an agent’s involvement? By limiting transfers I imagine contracts would also be easier to thrash out and deal with. This could give players the confidence to go and speak to their managers about any concerns they have personally, which would then lead to players having the confidence to go to the shops to buy things for themselves and with this little dose of realism we would be safe in the knowledge that the human beings that many children want to emulate would have become a little more responsible.

When I was younger there was only one agent in football I could name. It was Eric ‘Monster’ Hall and I was under the impression that he was the uncle of Dennis Wise. Off the top of my head I think I could now name five. In a few years time that might double. As stated I am not laying the blame for football’s greed, lack of selflessness or questionable morality squarely at their door. Some have come out and said, and I agree, that they are an easy target. The poor souls needn’t be in that horrible position if we could erase their influence from the game. Unfortunately I have pictured two directions the game could go in and scarily enough I think the former and more dramatic is the more likely.

I’ve given out a lot of questions in regard to this subject. Hopefully they are all answerable and there is as fruitful a response as ever. I am aware that with an ‘ego the size of David Bentley’s’ (Anonymous 27th November 2009 15:03) I am running the risk of offering an opinion with my writing. Those of us that love the game, support a team and like to talk and/or write about it generally do have an opinion. My hope is that mine
and those of other contributors on this site will allow others to share theirs.

Football and Finance, Money Money Money, Steve Candy, Transfer News