AGENTS’ FEES HIT £42M IN SECOND TIER...

CHAMPIONSHIP clubs shelled out a whopping £42m in agents’ fees in 201617, according to figures released by the FA.

The numbers cover the period from February 2016 to January 2017 and come two years after the last fullyear results (2014-15).

In 2014-15, agents’ fees totalled £26m in the Championship, which means there has been an increase of 62 per cent.

Newcastle, relegated from the Premier League last term, led the way in the second tier by splashing out £10,449,578 to agents, while Aston Villa, who also dropped down, splurged £5,421, 662.

Clubs who spent more than £2m were Nottingham Forest (£3,539,912), Norwich (£3,272,127) and QPR (£2,382,562).

At the other end of the scale, Burton (£163,331), who won promotion from League One, Barnsley (£188,209), Rotherham (£261,633) and Ipswich (£303,978) kept spending down.

In League One, spending fell from £3,167,964 in 201415 to £3,098,508 in 2016-17.

Charlton, relegated from the Championship, are top of the pile with £608,465, followed by MK Dons, who spent £496,605. Other third tier sides who paid out more than £200,000 were Sheffield United (£284,958), Bolton (£282,261) and Coventry (£237,814).

The lowest spending League One sides were Oldham (£4,430), Gillingham (£10,750), Rochdale (£15,200) and Walsall (£20,986).

In League Two, spending declined from £1,007,920 in 2014-15 to £821,450. The biggest spenders were Portsmouth, who dished out £175,344. Leyton Orient (£83,348) and Doncaster, relegated from League One, (£71,896) were second and third.

At the other end of the scale, Hartlepool were the only club not to spend a penny, while Wycombe paid out £1,622 and Crawley £3,300.