Clubs Structure: Needed to Succeed

I have been an FA Licensed Agent now for 5 years this month. I have seen clubs rise and fall through the leagues and there is always a defining factor for those who are successful - organisational structure.

Where there is a clear organisational structure with staff who have defined roles, responsibilities and ultimately, accountability clubs give themselves the opportunity to succeed.

The clarity of structure makes it easier to identify who is doing well in their role and who is not. It means that no one individual is doing more than they should or being under utilized, likewise no one individual garners more power and influence than they should.

I have attempted to do deals with clubs that have no chief executives or managing director's - no singular point of decision making. I remember bringing forward a deal to a club worth half a million for them but it took months to get a decision because the club secretary needed to try to get feedback from foreign based owners or advisors. The deal fell through and consequently you can clearly see many other opportunities would be lost because of this lack of decision making right at the top.

It also happens deeper in the club. I have seen and worked with clubs with no Academy Directors no Head of Youth. So no responsibility for developing youth players lays at a singular point. This means shared responsibility and realistically a lack of accountability. The result of this after a couple years was not one player came through the academy, even though they had a plethora of talent.

I have represented clients in clubs with a lack of structure and it is infuriating for all involved from the player to the staff themselves. I have no doubt that without clear defined structure with defined levels of decision making and accountability, clubs simply cannot succeed.

Player Development: When do I next go to work?

So I just received a call from one of my young clients who I believe could go all the way to the top. He has the mentality and physicality to go become a premier league footballer one day.

He tells me he doesn't actually know when his next game is. The club hasn't told him or it hasn't been organised yet. 

This is a player that is a regular so it's not that they have games but he doesn't know if he's involved all the time. 

This is a professional club, a club that has significant financial investment behind it and a very good fan base. A fan base that would love nothing more than to see a local lad progress through and become their captain one day. However, their possible future captain doesn't know when he may next have a game. 

Players are majorly judged in games rather than training. It's like not knowing when you are truly going to work next. Games are where you can truly show your talents - but if a player doesn't know when they will next - how does this not lack of challenge or disrupt their motivations? How can you develop if you have nothing to play for, and this is the correct usage of this often abused term.

I understand as a fan you may think you'd never lose motivation if you were being paid in any way even if it's just £100 a week to be a footballer but the reality is if you don't know when you're next going to play there is an element of a desire to move to a club or country where you know you will be playing or ultimately just pure confusion. 

Being an agent to top youth talents exposes many of the problems the English youth system has. If you would like to share your experiences on a confidential basis and/or would like to bring them up in future blogs please do email me on max @ ssm.uk.com 

Player Development: Just one game a month?

Officially, Stoke City's under-21s have just one fixture organised for December (see this link). I ask you, do you think playing a game or two a month is good for a young footballers fitness let alone his development?

I am not picking on Stoke City here. It is endemic across all clubs because of the way the under-21 leagues are structured.

The under-21 leagues were supposed to bridge the gap for players that have graduated from their scholarships but were not quite ready to play for the first team. However, it's clear these players who are too old to play for the under-18s and are not perceived as first team ready are not playing very much at all. It even encourages players to coast along, to become content with not playing every week.

This has hardly bridged a gap between us and other countries either. In Spain and Germany for example, top clubs still have the ability to give their youth real competitive week in, week out football by providing opportunities in their B teams in the lower leagues. It looks like in England we struggle to even give some of our most talented youngsters a youth level match or two a month. Seriously. Why is this not being reviewed?

Simply Sport client, Jordan Keane has gone on loan to Tamworth to gain experience.

In England, clearly to play week in, week out a player can't rely on the u21 leagues and hence must still go out on loan, outside the ethos of a club, outside of the development path many elite clubs desire for their players. Much like how Andros Townsend had to go on loan to 9 clubs before his recent breakthrough - aged 22. Townsend is an exception to the rule that he actually has come through and continued to develop and it is that point that is most important to remember.

The loan system has it's part to play in the development of players when used correctly. However, in England we need to stop developing leagues, regulations and the like that are merely paving over cracks and look at what we need to be doing so our youngsters are developing, playing regularly and are getting exposed to as much competitive football as possible.

I am for one an advocate of competitive league B teams for a start.

Corruption in the Football Industry

I was in the Middle East, maybe just 6 months into being an agent, when I became aware a particular individual wanted to meet me to influence my decision making by offering a financial incentive.

I flat out rejected meeting this individual. I understand the offer was to convince me not to complete a deal I had for a player, so that he could bring another deal to that player.

It was like being in a film. You hear the stories of corruption. You hear about the seedy world of the football agent but I didn’t expect to be exposed to it so early on in my burgeoning career at the time.

I realised these types of individuals could dominate through their ease of paying agents, coaches, players, families or whatever it took to manipulate the right deals for themselves. The hardest thing to realise was this basic and obvious level of corruption was not restricted to the Middle East.

Even at the most innocent, non-financially rewarding areas of the industry there is always someone ready to fight their way to get 100 pounds stuffed in their back pockets. As if it is something of a right for being part of a multi billion pound industry – they are due a little extra slice.

When I hear it going on, there is always that thought in the back of my mind, do I really want to be involved in muddy waters? I have to consciously avoid getting into situations in ways you wouldn’t even hence to think about in the sanctuary of a typical office job.

I have young clients today who are not even professionals. However, you’ll hear stories about how an agent offered the father a couple thousand pounds if he could get his son to sign with that agency. You’ll hear stories of agencies offering cars and holidays to players and families. There will always be an agent beast out there ready to exploit families financial and structural positions (particularly divorced parents) by offering them an incentive difficult for them not to accept.

Don’t for a second believe these agents aren’t being backed up by a club employee themselves though more times than not. Agents, licensed or unlicensed, do not operate in a vacuum.

These scrupulous agents will collude with coaches and any club staff willing to promise them a bonus if they can get that member of club staff to encourage a player to sign with the agency. This happens more than one would think.

I’m not saying all clubs and club officials are influenced by agents or otherwise, there are some fantastic individuals in the industry, but likewise, like life, there are those prepared to dabble.

It is clear certain club staff will receive money on the back of transfers too. This all exists in the industry. Having worked for one of world’s largest organisation in Microsoft, I know how imperative it is to observe the law and recall the extensive training on corruption there, but football can be like the wild west – and they don’t care who knows.

Then again why would they care who knows particularly when debate over the legitimacy of decisions made within the world’s football governing body are also so prominent in the press.

With so much palaver at the top of the football pyramid going on, not much attention is going into what happens lower down. Then in addition to that it seems FIFA is going to get rid of the need for an agent to have a license so anyone can be an agent perhaps from next year. As a result of this and a new wave of those willing to do anything to be involved in football, I can only see corruption in the industry getting worse before if and when it gets better.

The biggest annoyance I have is on the odd occasion I won’t be able to close a deal without the possibility of someone asking to be paid, a club official or another agent acting for one at the last minute. I won’t do it. This means it doesn’t matter how good you are at being an agent, or selling/closing, the repeated question any fairly active agent is being asked at one time or another as they forge their career is not are you a good business person? But instead... are you corruptible?

So with that you have the embryo of the possibly accurate stereotype of the wildly successful football agent. Whereas the real question should be how the embryo is formed. 

Business Strategy: The Modern Sports Agency

From a strategic viewpoint, businesses are always emphasising the importance of putting customers and consumers first. From a sports agency strategic viewpoint where the emphasis lays is always interesting to assess and I’m going to speak frankly about this in my blog like you should all come to expect.

Firstly, what is a client – are they the customer, the consumer or in their own category? The complexity of categorising their role in the chain fluctuates dependent on the type of deal; whether it’s a sporting contract or a commercial contract.

Is there a club, as often there is, willing to pay agency fees on behalf of the player? From this question, I want you to extract the point a player may go through his career never physically paying anything to their agent because a club is prepared to on their behalf (and beyond). From that viewpoint, the agent may view the client as what their selling, to put it crudely, their ‘product’.

There are times, however, that the player will pay the agent directly for his involvement in organising his transfer or negotiating his contract, he may also do this or have the percentage due extracted from his earnings sourced and/or negotiated for their commercial deals. From this viewpoint, the agent may view client as their actual customer, not their ‘product’.

Then what of the 15-year old turning 16 soon an agency signs up? Yes there are exceptions that already have real market value at that age such as Dan Crowley who recently moved from Aston Villa to Arsenal. However, the majority don’t and won’t for many years and likewise the 2-year maximum representation contract means an agent may not be guaranteed to have those clients by the time they do have real market value. So what of these clients then? are they customers, consumers, just clients or investments? Is this where a typical company might categorise what they do as research & development, investment or still long-term business development?

Certainly what I hope I’ve explained is how defining a sports agency within a typical business framework is more complex than one may think – and beyond close relatives like recruitment agencies.

Prioritizing who and what is most important to focus your efforts on is key and also to fundamentally understand their complex role in the chain of income generation and in cost of sales. Otherwise an agent could happily spend 24 hours a day on the phone to clients, they may be a councillor to their players, friends, parents, spouses but when it truly matters negotiating that deal, helping a club bring in a player that is equivalent of 6 months running costs of your agency or getting your client that sponsor can the agent deliver when it counts – or has the agent been distracted by what isn’t important – even if they mean well. The client after all needs the agents instruction also about what’s important or frivolous, this is often forgotten by the agent. Maybe also at times by the client too. 

Priotizing and understanding a client’ true role is the be all and end all of the success of the modern sports agency. It is not merely as I hear all the time about finding a young gem, sticking by the family for years and getting rich. An agent won’t survive like that, it’s the wrong impression and if you an agent yourself or are looking to become one please heed my message. Of if you're an everyday sports fan, I hope it gives you a little more insight into the agency world. 

Apparently even Zidane wasn't good enough

I often recall the story of agent Barry Silkman when he offered Newcastle United, Zinedine Zidane for around £1.2m in 1996 but he was rebuffed by the club saying he was not good enough for the Division 1 (equivalent now of the Championship) - all this before he went onto become one of the world's best ever players.

I even recall my first year as an agent in 2008-2009 where I brought a spanish youth winger to trial for a small club where I was told he was good and would be a top player - but not in England. He went on to sign for Real Madrid.

Zidane: Not good enough for the Championship??

The stories are frequent and my own experiences of such are often. I experienced the same again in this transfer window. I worked with an agent representing a 20-something talented attacker in Spain, I offered him to one of the newly promoted Premier League teams only to be told he wasn't good enough for them. A month later he went on to sign for a top 4 La Liga side and is doing extremely well for them.

I have to say the transfer window is one of the most fascinating times for me as an agent just because you can see just how differently people/clubs view players.

I also think the amount you hear about how expansive scouting networks are and the diligence involved in transfer target identification in modern football is wildly over-exaggerated. You'd be surprised how even some Premier League clubs still have little information on players even in leagues like Spain or Germany beyond the chief scout or manager calling a friend there for an opinion, watching videos, listening to an agent or using statistics to make an assessment.

Even if a club has an expansive scouting network it can mean little more than a lot of scouts adding info to a database remotely with little quality assurance or direct influence at the highest level. Look out for a future blog where I will go into more depth about the realities of player identification within clubs...

Time vs Money

One aspect of contract negotiations many players are still novices in understanding and appreciating (but not all I must stress) is the time value of money.

It is one of the most fundamental aspects of financial management taught at business school.

Basically, it is more important to have money in the hand now than it is a later date. For various reasons to include the likes of inflation.

In other basic ways, time and money come into a play when negotiating a new contract. Sometimes when the 1st or 2nd offer isn't right it is the correct strategy to wait until the right deal is tabled or receive another elsewhere.

However, getting this balance right between waiting and accepting a deal is important. Wait too long on the best deal you have tabled and any perceived financial increases or additional benefits you may have gained by receiving a later offer may be eliminated or in-fact left you in a worse position because of the amount of time you've had to wait for that offer.

Chief Executive play on time v money situations often - but the problem for them is, not all players, partners, parents or families grasp it - so it's a strategy that is not always a good one for Chief Executives and likewise if an agent doesn't explain it properly to their Client - they may end up not advising them correctly - but there are also those players who don't want to listen because they don't understand and don't want to learn - as a player never be one of those!

The fundamental thing I'd advise clients is to let their intelligent, financially sensible brain come to the forefront of decisions rather than ego. I've seen players turn down £49,000 a week deals to hold out for £50,000 but if it takes 8 months of holding out to ascertain that figure who is the winner? A players ego may feel better at that at figure because it looks pretty and competitive within the squad - but in-fact the club got the better deal. Not just in the difference there but the difference from your original pay packet.

I have to say to players of all ages, if you have a good agent who does understand the time value of money, listen to them and forget about comparing yourself in the dressing room. If you start comparing your finances in the dressing room you're thinking more about ego than financial sensibility. I've seen all the problems from 17 year olds to 37 year olds, all I can say is be smart, be respectful, be different from the others and make sure you sign contracts that are smart financially and at the end of the day let you just get on and play.

Positive Thinking and Positive Posturing

One of the things Simply Sport co-founder and ex-HM Forces officer, Mick Elliott MBE, emphasises to many of our clients is the importance of positive thinking and maintaining a positive image in-front of your opponent.

This evening, as may some of you, I watched Andy Murray take on Bernard Tomic in an early round match at the ATP 1000 Miami Open. Bernard is the youngest player in the top 100 of the world rankings. Neither player performed particularly well throughout the game but when Bernard made mistakes he became very animated and displayed his inner dissapointment by hitting his racket against the floor, shouting at himself, tearing at his hat and more. Andy never outwardly showed any annoyance when he made mistakes. 

Bernard's outward displays in dissapointment clearly acted as motivation for Andy as he clearly knew if he continued to play in the same manner as he did it would only be a matter of time before he'd break Bernard - and this all went to give Andy more confidence. The struggle of negative thinking and negative posturing by Bernard became the catch 22 situation which would lead to his downfall. 

Where Andy was struggling initially, Bernard's negative posturing would have provided Andy was some strength and support internally that he was on top. The reality is had Bernard, at least kept positive in his thinking and posturing, Andy may have himself have had started doubting where the game could go. Instead, he learnt when his opponent was struggling, even with particular shots, and simply repeated the shots he knew were frustrating his opponent. Bernard became his own downfall. It was hugely dissapointing and people are questioning where Bernard can go on in the sport but hopefully it will be a lesson to him of how important mental preparation and manipulation is in sport. It is never down to just to sheer physical size, age or experience. 

It is something Mick always tries to emphasise to our clients but I thought this would be an interesting, fresh example of the importance of positive thinking and positive posturing in sport and to sportspeople, regardless of what sport, reading this to retain this example in their minds every time they play/perform. If you can catch a reply of this game in the next 48 hours definitely do so to understand the full extent of the example. 

Don't forget the importance of mother's day!

I know a few of my clients read this, of any age, and this is just a little reminder to you all to make sure you do something for mother's day! 

Remember all the hours/days/weeks/years your mother has put into helping you get where you want to be in football. Make sure you take the time out, even if its just getting and writing them a little card, to let them know how much you love and appreciate them!

Have a great day. 

Put Them In The Pen!! Degrading Football Scouts

Since the introduction of the new EPPP rules and the basic adaption to the Premier League youth development rules, scouts of clubs are now required to contact and make their intentions known to other clubs before they attend any of that club' youth matches.

In response to this, several clubs have set up designated areas for these scouts when they attend matches. Sometimes it is a small box area, clear to all and is at times monitored by security. For scouts it is at times embarassing and degrading to be in these areas and the element of security at times can only reinforce this feeling of being - put in the animal pen.

Clubs have taken advantage of this new ruling to indeed make scouts feel this way, almost as a way of putting scouts off attending. The main benefit to these clubs is that the boxed area means they can make sure these scouts aren't talking to parents of players, however the negative to the scouts is this degrading feel they experience that they are put in a corner, on show to everyone.

My concern in football is always this -- the more it regulates and allows such practices to go on, in ways that would never attract or sustain the best quality people in any walk of professional life, will only attract people, in this case Scouts, who would be willing to put up with such restrictive, sometimes embarrassing environments. Those who are professional scouts will either eventually quit because they are fed up feeling like they need to have security around them when they watch games or they will find ways around the system to integrate as a normal human being to watch football matches, whether this includes being able to talk to parents or not. The problem is the more you encourage humans to find routes around laws and regulations to feel more 'normal', the more you are encouraging them down a path of getting used to getting round regulations.

At the same time, they may end up forcing out some of the most talented and professional scouts out of OUR game.

Players: Don't break your contract with another agent through desperation

During the transfer window, particular as it nears closure, I get calls from players or contacts close to players  who claim they are desperate to get away from their agent, break that contract and be represented by you or someone else as they are doing nothing for them.

Most of the time, all this does is put me off the player entirely.

Unless there is a genuine reason, most of the time the player has not taken the time to consider the right agent before signing for them. Additionally, they've just got desperate and are ready to cut off loyalties.

What does this tell me? How could I trust such a player myself?

Likewise there are agents who pursue players to try and get them to break out their contracts with their current agents. If I was player, how could I trust that agent to represent me ethically and within the rules of the game? When clearly it's an illegal approach or they've found a way around the FA ruling. You couldn't.

I'd rather a player if he is under contract and does want to seek help be honest with his agent and ask that agent to contact me to work together on a deal. Likewise, I'd want a player represented by me, who got desperate (and I hope it never happens but I'm not ignorant that it never will) to ask me to do the same.

All I can say is, the agent a player decides to go with is a reflection of themselves, I want players to realise this. If you are a player, make sure you take the time to consider the right agent for you before you commit. Look yourself in the mirror and believe that you are signing with the right person and that you find someone who is as loyal to you as you will be to them. There will always be someone out there telling you they can do better. Whether I could benefit from you as a player doing that or not financially, or if one of my player's was to incite such a possibility for another agent, this is not why I'm doing this. I expect loyalty and respect from players I represent. I want clubs to know when I call they are dealing with an agent of these types of players and this is an exceptional thing for players themselves as you can negotiate better deals from this stand point when Chief Executive's and Owner's think they are getting that type of player.

For players, before you sign with any old agent who fulfills your ego, ask yourself what they can do for you and can you commit to them and can you commit to you in a way that feels right in your heart and your gut. Don't just sign and feel on transfer deadline day that you can call 10 agents to try and break a contract and that goes to other agents too.

Parents: Don't believe all you're told by clubs

My role as an agent is there to protect and enhances the interests of my clients, it is also to help clubs source new players and mediate with players currently there to keep them happy and progressing, regardless of age.

Perhaps fitting into the former more than the latter on this particular issue, I have to admit I am seeing more and more clubs, particularly at academy level, create scenarios, laws and regulations that simply do not exist and portray them to unsuspecting parents as the truth.

The new myth of the month being touted by the odd academies across the country, which I believe was first implemented by a club in the south, is this so called 'scholarship extension'. Now, I am not talking about an 18-year old at the end of his 2-year scholarship being offered a 3rd year on 'scholarship terms' either. I am talking about under-16s being told at this particular time by clubs that at the moment they will not be being offered a scholarship. However, the clubs are then going on to say they want to offer them a month's "extension" or a rolling extention - to give the player time to convince them they are worthy of a scholarship.

Now just for clarity for parents and players that don't know - this is not an extension.

Under regulations, the club has until 1 March to offer a scholarship to a player. It also does not have to release the registration of any player before that. In essence, the player is just continuing on a registered basis as he always has - no extension, no additional contract length, no nothing. All I ask is parents do not be fooled by some of the terminology being used, it is not fair ever to use legal and regulatory language to in essence try to motivate players if it is not true. Additionally, it is just confusing. 

This type of talk is also another ploy by clubs. If on 12 January I tell young Johnny he isn't going to be offered a scholarship and he can have the 6 weeks to prove himself or can go on trial elsewhere if would like, there is a financial reason behind this also. If Johnny decides to go on trial and that club would like to sign him before 1 March then the original registered club of Johnny are within their right to ask for full compensation inclusive of the scholarship years (even if he wasn't going to be offered) as they can still imply they intended to offer a scholarship and therefore expect that payment. This can be done and some clubs are sly in wanting this. However, this does present risks to clubs who to try to maximise compensation may end up offering a scholarship with the interested club(s) pulling out and the club still being obliged to fulfill that scholarship offer. Ultimately, offering for Under-16 players to go out on trial or be heavily watched before 1 March is a good idea for clubs if they have players that truly are 50/50 on whether they want to take or not so they can either aim for full compensation or if it comes to the worst he will have a scholarship but only after clubs have shown interest in him anyway.

At least the regulations protect Under-16s to an extent that at least there is sometime for them to find another club if they don't get offered a scholarship before the season ends. Whereas players coming to the end of their scholars can go until May before finding out if they're going to be offered contracts and by then the season can end without them being able to source a new club or having time to trial. That is something that also needs to reviewed - and will probably require another blog post I'm sure at some point!

Law and/or Enforcement

Whilst I studied for my master degree in laws over 4 years ago at Durham, I very much recall being fascinated by a legal theory question that essentially posed the question: What acts as a greater deterrence, law itself or enforcement of the law?

Ultimately, the obvious conclusion is that without enforcement, law itself is rendered redundant. So it begs the question of why many football regulatory bodies set down such extensive regulations yet not prepare itself to be able to enforce the regulations?

At a recent AFA (Association of Football Agents) meeting in London, The FA's key financial regulation department figures themselves admitted they did not have the man power or finances in order to always be able to speedily forward on finances held in their account, let alone to fully enforce all the regulations rigorously.

[For those interested in the AFA please visit here.]

The FA are ready to admit there is a problem with unlicensed agents operating in the business for example or a knowledge that players and agents are signing contracts but not lodging with the FA or know that experienced pro players are trying to sign shorter representation agreements which are not in line with FA regulations - but really do not have the time or resources to investigate. As a result, where these people can get away with sometimes notably honest mistakes or mis-alignment with the regulations and should be due just a quick personal reminder, this never comes and these (sometimes honest) corners can easily open up to something much wider to those who care to exploit it.

An example would be pretty crime. If petty crime was not acted upon and enforced then criminals would move on and on to see how far they can go without repercussion. Likewise this is happening in our industry.

One of the most known reactions recently by FIFA to the fact that many people operate out of alignment with agent regulations they set at the top and through associations country by country is to look to allow agents to operate without a license potentially from the end of this year. They want to do this so their regulations towards agents and anything related will apply to anyone automatically who is involved in this side of the game - regardless of whether they are licensed. Again all this relates to is greater regulations. But the key question should be what is being done to increase enforcement?

I'll make this rather simple. Unless FIFA, the FA and other bodies looking at increasing what can be done to increase enforcement - not just to agents - but to players, clubs and more who wish to deviate from the regulations relating to transactions and more - then why bother to look at what can be done with changing the regulations? Otherwise all your doing is widening the catchment of what the law applies. Is that enough?