Article by Adrian Bryan

Football AgentsAn article from http://www.thefotballmerchandisestore.co.ukThe role of a football agent is to help market their client so as to maximise their commercial potential whilst also protecting their needs in contractual negotiations with their clubs or seeking to assist a transfer to an alternative club. The agent will lead in negotiations on their clients behalf with managers, club director’s and lawyers whilst advising their client on options available. The agent will also be heavily involved in handling their clients public relations matters, finances and taxes.The role of the agent has taken off in line with the success of the English Premier League, clubs srambling and competing for the best players whilst having significant wage budgets due to SKY TV money has meant the power has transferred from clubs to players, of course this was magnified by the landmark Bosman ruling that means players can transfer freely at the end of their contract. This power in the hands of players has given agents an opportunity to maximise their clients positions.It is clear that agents are advantageous to the athletes. The agent brings skills that the modern football does not have such as those in business, marketing, law and finance. Professional football is a short career and these men are at the very elite of their profession and thus seek to make as much money as they can in this time frame. In that respect it is no different from the elite of any other professions, bankers or lawyers for exampleBut are agents good for football? This question is much more difficult to answer and in most cases is likely to bring a negative repsonse. The main benefit to the game is the way in which they have helped to market the sport through their clients, the public appeal of figures such as David Beckham brings increased revenues, media attention and interest to the sport. However there is a darker side to the game which is amplified by the agents. In any industry with massive fniancial resources there will be some who seek to extract a share of this resource. Not by the writer of this article, but it has been leveled that agents involve themselves in the transfer of players acting as “middle men” who take a large sum (rumoured to be millions of pounds) for organising player/club talks. The very recent example of the demise of Portsmouth FC has revealed massive debts in the region of £140million, a large percentage of this is down to payments to agents, with an even larger percentage being due to the astronomical wages paid out, no doubt in part influenced by agent demands. Whilst agents can not in anyway be entirely blamed for this situation it is perhaps a pertinent example of the direction the game has taken and the role that agents hold in the modern game.Whether individuals decide that agents are good for the game or not, it is clear that they have had a significant role in developing the game into the marketing success it currently is, it is clear that they are here to stay, perhaps their role may change in the future if legislation enforces it by the Football association but the financial benefits they bring to their clients means that the players will be keen to keep their represetatives.

About the Author

Andrew Brown writes for The Football Merchandise Store the web’s finest collection of Football Souvenirs and Football Merchandise