U's Foot £91,300 Agent Bill

Colchester United paid £91,300 in fees to players` agents during the period of July to December 2007, a period encapsulating the summer transfer window.

The report, published online by the Football League today, shows that only one Championship club - Blackpool - did not paid any third party when negotiating player deals in that period, although the U`s did not foot any bill for fees last time the six-monthly report was published just before the start of the current season.

The term in question would include Colchester`s signings of striker Clive Platt from MK Dons, winger Mark Yeates from Tottenham, forward Teddy Sheringham from West Ham, midfielder Luke Gutteridge from Southend as well as the arrivals of Danny Granville (free) and loan signing Matt Connolly from Arsenal.

The summary on the Football League`s website, now available after changes to the law on the need for agents to declare payments in both 2003 and 2006, found that 19 sides in the country did not pay any third party to sign players.

Speaking today on the official site, U`s chairman Robbie Cowling has defended the expense as "necessary," explaining further: "Being in the Championship has been seen as the first cause of the club paying agents` fees but I think the two go hand in hand.

"What isn`t quite so well publicised is the fact that the agents are used to secure the best prices for players that want to leave the club," he added.