Jon Smith wants more involvement of agents in football

Sports magnate Jon Smith feels that the Football Leagues report regarding agent’s fees is “a waste of time”, Sky Sports reports.

According to the report, clubs paid agents over £21.5 million in fees during the 2012/2013 season. The amount was described by the Football League’s chairman Greg Clarke as “a considerable amount of money to be leaving the game”.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Smith wished the Association of Football Agents could be authorized to make decisions on the betterment of the game.

He said: “The English FA and the AFA are now talking about us – potentially, I don’t want to jump the gun – having a seat at the table.

“We want to self-regulate, we want to have a kite mark. Agents have been part of the entertainment and sports worlds since time immemorial so -Football League – get over yourselves. Make us part of it and we’ll help you.

“I think this report is a complete waste of time and money. We had a clarion call from Greg Dyke about all coming together to help the England team, and what do the Football League do?

“Come out with a report lampooning an easy target sector of people who actually are necessary in the rebuilding of the way the England team reconstructs itself as it heads towards this target of winning the 2022 World Cup.

“It would behove the Football League better if they looked at how they managed themselves at a lower level. They’re chasing the game now. The Championship is in reasonable shape, but below that financially the game is suffering.

“To stay in the big-time they should be more engrossed in encouraging agents to bring the better players through to their clubs and use them, in a way, as service clubs for the bigger clubs.

“I don’t see why football has to have this little pop at part of it. They say agents are part of the degradation of the wellbeing of the sport; they say it’s money going out of the game. How about directors’ salaries? Is that not money going out of the game?”