Town chairman David Sheepshanks says he fully supports the Football League's publishing of the fees clubs pay to players' agents. The figures released earlier today showed that agents were paid £37,125 by the Blues from January to June of this year.

Sheepshanks, a director of the Football League, told the club site: "I am in full support of this initiative. This is not to say that responsible agents do not have their place in the game, as they surely do.

"There are many occasions when agents are responsible or materially assist in the recruitment of a player and equally times when a club like ourselves may enlist the help of an agent to move a player on, particularly where overseas markets are concerned.

"This new policy of publicising agents' payments by Football League clubs will hopefully help eliminate the extraordinary and excessive settlements that we read about on a national basis from time to time, along with the suspicion that surrounds them. More than that it will serve as a limiting factor so that these amounts are more proportionate to the service provided.

"All in all I think this is a responsible lead from the Football League and one that I hope the Premiership will follow for the benefit of the reputation of all football transactions in England.

"Agents fees are usually paid based on a negotiated percentage of a player's wages over the period of the contract. Individual player salaries are a private matter and not for public disclosure, however, I will say that the amount published against Ipswich Town relates to player acquisition and represents the total liability of the club for the duration of the contract in question. I am comfortable that the amount paid by us is proportionate to the service received."

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls