The latest publication of Football League clubs' spending on agents' fees has revealed that the 2007/08 season saw payments to agents fall to their lowest level, relative to total transfer spending, since the publication of agents' fees began in 2004.

The 12 months between July 2007 and June 2008 saw payments to agents, as a proportion of total transfer spending, fall to 14 per cent, compared to 19 per cent for the previous season.

Last season's figure is also significantly lower than the 26 per cent recorded in 2005/06 and the 53 per cent recorded in 2004/05.

The figures below show total transfer spending in a season, with total agents' fees alongside.

2004/05 £14.6m (£7.8m 53%)
2005/06 £29.6m (£7.7m 26%)
2006/07 £45.8m (£8.6m 19%)
2007/08 £81.5m (£11.1m 14%)

A buoyant transfer market has seen spending on player acquisitions rise by 78 per cent to £81.5m in the last twelve months. A figure that is also more than two and a half times the amount spent just two seasons ago.

In announcing the latest agents' fees figures Football League chairman Brian Mawhinney said: "In the last twelve months we've seen a resurgent transfer market with clubs spending significantly greater sums on players.

"It is encouraging that this has not been coupled with a similar increase in payments to agents. Instead, these are now at their lowest levels since we began publishing these figures four seasons ago.

"Football League clubs continue to make genuine strides towards putting their economic affairs in order. We have led the way in this regard, though more remains to be done."

During the 2007/08 season clubs committed to pay agents in 8.3 per cent (283) of the 3,399 player transactions that took place, collectively committing the sum of £11,066,083.

Championship clubs accounted for £9.3m (84 per cent) of this total, with League One and League Two clubs accounting for £1.53m (14 per cent) and £0.23m (2 per cent) respectively.

18 clubs did not commit any monies to agents - compared to 19 in 2006/07, 16 in 2005/06 and 13 in 2004/05 - three of these for the fourth consecutive season (Blackpool, Huddersfield Town and Stockport County). A total of 23 clubs committed less than £10,000.

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REPORT SUMMARY

(Equivalent figures for Season 2006/07 in brackets)

OVERALL 2007/08 FIGURES

o Between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008 Football League clubs engaged in 3,399 (3,328) player transactions (new registrations/player transfers, contract updates, contract cancellations and loans);
o Clubs committed to pay a fee to an agent in 283 (378) of these transactions;
o Therefore, no agent was used in 3,116 (2,950) transactions;
League clubs committed to spend £11,066,083 (£8,584,321) on agents' fees during the period of this report;
o 18 clubs (19) did not commit any money to agents during the 12 months covered by this report;
o 23 clubs (27) committed to pay less than £10,000 to agents in the same period.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

o In The Championship there were 1,129 (1,110) player transactions, 199 (240) involved the use of agents;
o Clubs committed to spend a total of £9,302,060 (£7,528,501) on agents' fees during this period;
o 23 clubs (23) committed to paying for the services of a licensed agent;
o 1(1) club did not pay for the services of a licensed agent (Blackpool).

LEAGUE ONE

o In League 1 there were 1,082 (1,044) player transactions, 124 (85) involved the use of an agent;
o Clubs committed to spend a total of £1,531,337 (£717,368) on agents' fees during this period;
o 21 clubs (19) committed to paying for the services of a licensed agent;
o 3 clubs (5) did not pay for the services of a licensed agent (Crewe Alexandra, Hartlepool United & Huddersfield Town).

LEAGUE TWO

o In League 2 there were 1,188 (1,174) player transactions, 38 (53) involved the use of an agent;
o Clubs committed to spend a total of £227,686 (£338,452) on agents' fees during this period;
o 10 clubs (11) committed to paying for the services of a licensed agent;
o 14 clubs (13) did not pay for the services of a licensed agent (Accrington Stanley, Barnet, Bury, Chester City, Chesterfield, Dagenham & Redbridge, Grimsby Town, Hereford United, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Notts County, Peterborough United, Rochdale and Stockport County).

NEW MEMBER CLUBS

o A total of £5,000 was committed to agents by clubs that joined The Football League in June 2008.