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.