Leading agents promise to co-operate with Stevens inquiry

The Association of Football Agents (AFA) have promised to open their files to help with Lord Stevens’ inquiry into football corruption – but warned they cannot make non-members co-operate with the investigation.

Stevens revealed yesterday that only 65 out of 150 agents had responded to his requests for co-operation and said he may use the Football Association’s powers of inquiry to make agents provide access to their bank accounts.

The association only have 80 of the 280 licensed agents among their members and Mel Stein, secretary and legal advisor to the AFA, said they had no power to force the others to co-operate.

Stein, who wants all agents to be obliged to join a body such as the AFA, said: “Our association has already promised to provide details of any transactions requested by Lord Stevens.

“We had a meeting involving all the major agencies and it was unanimously agreed that no-one had anything to hide and would co-operate.

“We feel it is important that this inquiry is a rigorous as possible but there are a number of other agents, many who may only have been involved in one or two transfers during the period under investigation, over which we have no authority.”

Agents may find themselves charged with misconduct if they refuse to reveal details of financial transactions.

Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner who is leading the bungs inquiry, said his team may use FA rules to force agents to open their accounts for inspection.

Stevens looked into all 362 transfers that took place in the Premier League between January 1 2004 to January 31 2006, and announced yesterday that 39 out of the 362 transfers, involving eight clubs, will be investigated further over the next two months.

The FA confirmed that they had the right to request information from FA-licensed agents’ bank accounts under their “powers of inquiry” and those who failed to do risked a misconduct charge.

The identities of the eight clubs involved and the 39 transfers are being kept secret but if they are deemed to have involved illegal payments then Stevens will pass details to the Premier League, FA and if necessary the police.