Players' Agents

Maybe it's time we fans got agents to negotiate our ticket prices...?

So how many people on here used an estate agent when buying a house?

Don't get me started on estate agents...

what is it with people thinking that all agents are bad news?

Let me tell you a few facts;

without them, players would not be protected. they need agents to check all contracts as many a club will leave out important info, especially lower league.

players without clubs need agents more than the big boys as the agents are the guys with the contacts at all clubs. what player has every managers number and can negotiate his own move?

there are a few bad eggs out there yes, but most of us do it for the love of the game. we dont make half as much money as people believe.

some agents come into it knowing one superstar and make enough money off a few moves to live well forever and so they dont care who they upset, they are the boys that give the rest a bad name.

there are also people (mostly ex players) that are player advisors!!.......this means that they have not taken the exam and have not got the insurance.......they do all the work but have an agent to sign it off. these "advisors" are the people that poach and promise the world to the young boys!!

people like myself though do it for the good of the game and so we do everything properly so that we are still respected 40 years down the line!!!

there are not many, but if you can get an agent that is a friend, works hard, and stays with you until the end of your career.........he is gold dust!

UTF

An interesting insider view, thanks U9344. Nobody in this thread has suggested that all agents are bad news.

No your right mailing, but that is the general feeling out there........

U9344 agents have similar problems to the players themselves - its the actions of a minority (mostly at the top of the game) that set the reputation for everyone.

It's more the footballers that I blame than the agents. The Footballers are essentially 'the boss' and are basically giving agents instructions to squeeze the club for every penny they can.

I just don't like people making out that players are victims, or that they can be compared to us. They are in a unique position and the fact that most of them don't realise how lucky they are means I struggle to relate to them. I don't mind them getting paid well but they should be grateful for it and it shouldn't be the most important thing when choosing a club. Don't make the mistake of thinking Tevez is the only a-hole out there.

I don't see any fundamental difference between players, actors, musicians etc etc – 'talents' of all kinds need specialist representation to help them make the right decisions and get the best deals. You don't hear people moaning that Katherine Jenkins should think herself lucky that she can sing, and that she should just take whatever EMI offer her. Or that Gary Oldman should be grateful that people are prepared to pay money to see him dress up in funny clothes and show off.

There are, however, a number of agent-related practices that should be not only outlawed but stamped down on. The two – legislation and enforcement – don't always go together. There's plenty of 'turn a blind eye' attitude out there. Think how many 'rogue agent' scandals have revealed that the clubs themselves were up to their necks in the wrongdoing.

For example, an agent should never, under any circumstance, act on behalf of more than one party in a deal. Cases have come to light where an agent supposedly acting on behalf of a player has taken a 'facilitation fee' from a club that wants to sign the player. The conflict of interest here is outrageous – the agent is clearly being bribed to offer his client biased advice.

Any agent caught soliciting a payment from a third party should be banned forever – and any club offering such a payment to an agent should have the book thrown at it in similar manner.

Fatfox you are dead right - agents can't represent players and clubs in same deal, it is against regulations

Other issues are agents that act for clubs, they then go and poach the players without their agents knowing, just to get a cut from club, and ig is not always in the players best interest