Agent Fees

[Kmcalpin]

Interesting article in the Scotsman about how much clubs spent on agent fees over the past 2 windows. Our total was £6,575 the 3rd lowest in the Premiership and only above Accies and St Mirren.   Ross County and Livingston even spent considerably more, as did Partick Thistle.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/scottish-premiership-clubs-splash-out-6m-on-agents-fees-1-4923636

[Gadgey]

This is an interesting barometer of the economic divide between Scottish clubs. What is intriguing also is when you then compare it to agent expenditure in English league 2 and how most Scottish non OF clubs are dwarfed by their spending power.

Northampton £92,125

MK Dons £80,263

Mansfield £77,932

Cheltenham £61,253

Port Vale £60,027

Oldham Athletic £55,551

Notts County £55,130

Cambridge United £48,930

Lincoln City £44,434

Forest Green £40,431

Colchester United £38,642

Stevenage £38,460

Grimbsby Town £38,104

Crawley £32,160

Newport County £31,952

Yeovil £27,931

Carlisle United £27,431

Tranmere Rovers £26,112

Swindon £18,000

Exeter City £14,490

Morecambe £13,486

Crewe Alexandra £10,638

Bury £6,075

Macclesfield Town £1,000

[brainier]

Our agents fees sum was also bettered by 17 clubs at National League level and below, predictably Salford with a mindblowing £76,338 top that list. Hoping my local team AFC Fylde (£10,820 in fees) can derail their attempt to buy promotion on Saturday. 

[ONeils4oyarder]

Is it not a good thing, not to be paying agents fees? Apologies if that sounds completely stupid.

[Gadgey]

1 hour ago, ONeils4oyarder said:

Is it not a good thing, not to be paying agents fees? Apologies if that sounds completely stupid.

I don’t know if I’m honest. Instinctively, I’d say yes but significantly ignorant to the process to be persuaded otherwise by someone in the know.

Given that the majority of lower league transfers are frees, I would guess that the agent fee would be representative of the contract and player value?

[AirblesRoad]

4 hours ago, brainier said:

Our agents fees sum was also bettered by 17 clubs at National League level and below, predictably Salford with a mindblowing £76,338 top that list. Hoping my local team AFC Fylde (£10,820 in fees) can derail their attempt to buy promotion on Saturday. 

So the vast amounts of money pumped into AFC Fylde by their owner David Haythornthwaite, with the stated objective of achieving Football League status, doesn't count as buying promotion?  Pot and kettle!

[David]

3 hours ago, Gadgey said:

I don’t know if I’m honest. Instinctively, I’d say yes but significantly ignorant to the process to be persuaded otherwise by someone in the know.

Given that the majority of lower league transfers are frees, I would guess that the agent fee would be representative of the contract and player value?

It really depends on the player and the transfer. In most cases for clubs our size it'll be a case of the player hiring an agent to oversee the process and negotiate his deal, speak to the club, organise the ins & outs, and the cost will come out of any signing on fee or money the player makes from the transfer, so we wouldn't be liable.

The higher up the tree you go the more complex the deals become, which is where multiple agents are involved in a single transfer, representing both the club and the player in negotiations and so on.

[brainier]

2 hours ago, AirblesRoad said:

So the vast amounts of money pumped into AFC Fylde by their owner David Haythornthwaite, with the stated objective of achieving Football League status, doesn't count as buying promotion?  Pot and kettle!

Touche although the vast majority of his money has been spent on infrastructure, new ground, training ground, land to be leased out and built on. Basically stuff he can get a return on. There is a strict limit on players wages and still a strong reliance on loan players. Better that than throwing 5k a week at Adam Rooney etc. 

[AirblesRoad]

44 minutes ago, brainier said:

Touche although the vast majority of his money has been spent on infrastructure, new ground, training ground, land to be leased out and built on. Basically stuff he can get a return on. There is a strict limit on players wages and still a strong reliance on loan players. Better that than throwing 5k a week at Adam Rooney etc. 

Salford attract a lot of vitriol because of the Manchester United 'Class of 92' connection but what they and AFC Fylde are doing is exactly the same in principle, only the amounts of money are different.  Your point about infrastructure is good but the owner has clearly splashed the cash on the pitch too.  They didn't progress from being the local parks team Kirkham and Wesham to where they are now by selling football cards in the pub after matches.

[GazzyB]

I think a little bit of it will come down to luck. I am almost certain that one of our best signings in recent years in Trevor Carson came in and negotiated his own terms.