The Guardian report:
‘Abuses of the transfer market will continue unless the FA acts more decisively to punish agents guilty of breaching regulations, the Football League chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney said last night.
‘Speaking as the Guardian published details of a survey in which two-thirds of agents who replied said they were aware of abuses of the system, Sir Brian said the FA needed to clamp down on those responsible. Mawhinney's concerns about the negative impact of football's "bung culture" image are backed up by the findings of the Guardian's survey of British Fifa-licensed agents.
‘Half of those who responded to the anonymous survey said the current regulations were insufficient to regulate the market, and two-thirds said they were aware of agents representing more than one party. More than 80% were aware of preferential relationships between individual managers and agents.
‘The Football League began publishing this last season and half-yearly figures out next week will show a marked increase. The Premier League is opposed to imposing publication of agents' fees on its members, believing that internal declaration to the league and the FA is sufficient to ensure probity.’
In other news, Peter Reid has left Coventry by mutual consent, and Harry Redknapp has made his third signing for Southampton. Noé Pamarot has come from Tottenham.