The Association of Football Agents is set to lobby FA Chair Greg Dyke over its "proposals for self-regulation in a bid to 'safeguard the future of the game,'" according to James Olley of the London EVENING STANDARD.
The AFA was formed by Jon Smith and Mel Stein in '05 "to unite agents across the country in collective action on key issues affecting the industry."
While agents "are often accused of a self-serving agenda, there is also a desire among them to come together under the AFA banner and act as one on matters affecting the game’s management."
FIFA’s proposal "to scrap the tough qualification exam for agents by February 2015 is one such development." Football’s governing body "insists this is not deregulation but a shift in the emphasis." The AFA believes its "enormous influence in the game should be rewarded with a seat on the FA Council," which would give it "a more powerful voice in decisions including self-regulation." Smith said, "No regulation without representation is our simple goal. It seems ridiculous that in an era of inclusivity, the people working closest with the players throughout their careers have no representation on the FA Council" (EVENING STANDARD, 11/21).
