Agent claims prompted the FA to begin an investigation

More allegations of illegal agent action surfaced, with one licensed agent claiming many of his competitors are covering their money trails with smokescreen payments.

Agent Jesse Learoyd-Hill's accusations prompted the English Football Association to begin an investigation into agent activity. Hill also said that fellow agents are using coercion as part of their tactics.

"Another agent is injected into the deal so there's no paperwork back to the guy putting the pressure on for commission," Learoyd-Hill told The Telegraph. "Agent A says to agent B, 'Make sure I get paid and I'll get this deal done - but don't pay me, pay agent C. He works with me and I'll get the money from him.'

"It's a smokescreen. The paperwork might say an agent has not done 15 deals at one club, but in reality he probably has. This scenario has been put to me on several occasions, including when dealing with Premiership clubs."

Learoyd-Hill also said that he sometimes hears the line: "Do a business or you won't have a business.", and likened it to the way "the mafia" behaved.

The FA has met with Learoyd-Hill. Of particular concern to the organisation is that new rules in the wake of the Lord Stevens investigation are about to go into effect within the week.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.