The Fighting Cock podcast

[Lufti]

Not got to the second half yet. Is its tough because its interesting or tough shit?

The latter, not entirely surprising, but essentially a slap in the face. Interesting stuff though

 

[Bus-Conductor]

The latter, not entirely surprising, but essentially a slap in the face. Interesting stuff though

Can you elaborate/synopsis on what was said ?

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

I miss Cock on Ball

So do I. I loved that show. My first spurs podcast.

 

[Lufti]

Can you elaborate/synopsis on what was said ?

Well, none of it was particularly ground breaking, the former agent was mostly going by what he's encountered in the past and what other agents are like. I'll try to bullet point bits I can remember:

- A lot of agents are scumbags but not all of them, the 'good guys' tend to go unnoticed because no one wants to report on someone doing a good job, it's the agents like Ward and Barnett that will always get the headlines.
- To be an agent you basically have to know a player who is willing to have you represent them, and from there you get hired by an agency who wants your player, it's very difficult to work your way into being an agent these days.
- Agents very rarely get a piece of the transfer pie, what normally happens is they'll get a percentage of a player's wages and so hence they're always trying for bigger wages. He added that this means it isn't necessarily always beneficial for agents to have their player keep swapping clubs, and it can be more beneficial to simply have them stay at a club which rewards players with regular wage increases.
- He mentioned how he encountered a lot of greedy parents in particular
- He shed light on why people like Scott Sinclair and Rodwell move to Man City and basically said most players would jump at the chance simply because they it would be amazing to double your wages for a few years
- Off the pitch Alli is basically a marketing dream and an agents dream and everyone would want him, apparently his agent must be licking his lips
- He reckoned even Kane would be on his phone to his agent should a bigger club become interested regardless of what is said in public, he included United and City in that
- He also added that it would be up to Levy though very likely and that agents don't like to upset the hierarchy at clubs they have regularly dealings with
- Also mentioned most agents make their money picking up loads of youth players and hoping they make it big time, and threw in a story about how someone threatened to break his legs over the potential signing of a player
- Agents and other players are very often in a players ear telling them they can get them a big move or a better offer if they switch agents

If I remember anything else I'll add it, but you might as well listen to it

 

[Borks]

Basically said that there's no loyalty in football, even from the players you think are different. Players get tapped up through other players at clubs or on international duty (an agency representing a player at United will get that player to convince Kane or Alli to use this agency in order to get a move to United for example).

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Well, none of it was particularly ground breaking, the former agent was mostly going by what he's encountered in the past and what other agents are like. I'll try to bullet point bits I can remember:

- A lot of agents are scumbags but not all of them, the 'good guys' tend to go unnoticed because no one wants to report on someone doing a good job, it's the agents like Ward and Barnett that will always get the headlines.
- To be an agent you basically have to know a player who is willing to have you represent them, and from there you get hired by an agency who wants your player, it's very difficult to work your way into being an agent these days.
- Agents very rarely get a piece of the transfer pie, what normally happens is they'll get a percentage of a player's wages and so hence they're always trying for bigger wages. He added that this means it isn't necessarily always beneficial for agents to have their player keep swapping clubs, and it can be more beneficial to simply have them stay at a club which rewards players with regular wage increases.
- He mentioned how he encountered a lot of greedy parents in particular
- He shed light on why people like Scott Sinclair and Rodwell move to Man City and basically said most players would jump at the chance simply because they it would be amazing to double your wages for a few years
- Off the pitch Alli is basically a marketing dream and an agents dream and everyone would want him, apparently his agent must be licking his lips
- He reckoned even Kane would be on his phone to his agent should a bigger club become interested regardless of what is said in public, he included United and City in that
- He also added that it would be up to Levy though very likely and that agents don't like to upset the hierarchy at clubs they have regularly dealings with
- Also mentioned most agents make their money picking up loads of youth players and hoping they make it big time, and threw in a story about how someone threatened to break his legs over the potential signing of a player
- Agents and other players are very often in a players ear telling them they can get them a big move or a better offer if they switch agents

If I remember anything else I'll add it, but you might as well listen to it

Cheers

 

[TaoistMonkey]

Well, none of it was particularly ground breaking, the former agent was mostly going by what he's encountered in the past and what other agents are like. I'll try to bullet point bits I can remember:

- A lot of agents are scumbags but not all of them, the 'good guys' tend to go unnoticed because no one wants to report on someone doing a good job, it's the agents like Ward and Barnett that will always get the headlines.
- To be an agent you basically have to know a player who is willing to have you represent them, and from there you get hired by an agency who wants your player, it's very difficult to work your way into being an agent these days.
- Agents very rarely get a piece of the transfer pie, what normally happens is they'll get a percentage of a player's wages and so hence they're always trying for bigger wages. He added that this means it isn't necessarily always beneficial for agents to have their player keep swapping clubs, and it can be more beneficial to simply have them stay at a club which rewards players with regular wage increases.
- He mentioned how he encountered a lot of greedy parents in particular
- He shed light on why people like Scott Sinclair and Rodwell move to Man City and basically said most players would jump at the chance simply because they it would be amazing to double your wages for a few years
- Off the pitch Alli is basically a marketing dream and an agents dream and everyone would want him, apparently his agent must be licking his lips
- He reckoned even Kane would be on his phone to his agent should a bigger club become interested regardless of what is said in public, he included United and City in that
- He also added that it would be up to Levy though very likely and that agents don't like to upset the hierarchy at clubs they have regularly dealings with
- Also mentioned most agents make their money picking up loads of youth players and hoping they make it big time, and threw in a story about how someone threatened to break his legs over the potential signing of a player
- Agents and other players are very often in a players ear telling them they can get them a big move or a better offer if they switch agents

If I remember anything else I'll add it, but you might as well listen to it

 

[Geyzer Soze]

Well, none of it was particularly ground breaking, the former agent was mostly going by what he's encountered in the past and what other agents are like. I'll try to bullet point bits I can remember:

- A lot of agents are scumbags but not all of them, the 'good guys' tend to go unnoticed because no one wants to report on someone doing a good job, it's the agents like Ward and Barnett that will always get the headlines.
- To be an agent you basically have to know a player who is willing to have you represent them, and from there you get hired by an agency who wants your player, it's very difficult to work your way into being an agent these days.
- Agents very rarely get a piece of the transfer pie, what normally happens is they'll get a percentage of a player's wages and so hence they're always trying for bigger wages. He added that this means it isn't necessarily always beneficial for agents to have their player keep swapping clubs, and it can be more beneficial to simply have them stay at a club which rewards players with regular wage increases.
- He mentioned how he encountered a lot of greedy parents in particular
- He shed light on why people like Scott Sinclair and Rodwell move to Man City and basically said most players would jump at the chance simply because they it would be amazing to double your wages for a few years
- Off the pitch Alli is basically a marketing dream and an agents dream and everyone would want him, apparently his agent must be licking his lips
- He reckoned even Kane would be on his phone to his agent should a bigger club become interested regardless of what is said in public, he included United and City in that
- He also added that it would be up to Levy though very likely and that agents don't like to upset the hierarchy at clubs they have regularly dealings with
- Also mentioned most agents make their money picking up loads of youth players and hoping they make it big time, and threw in a story about how someone threatened to break his legs over the potential signing of a player
- Agents and other players are very often in a players ear telling them they can get them a big move or a better offer if they switch agents

If I remember anything else I'll add it, but you might as well listen to it

Excellent! No need to listen to them bang on now!

 

[Lufti]

Excellent! No need to listen to them bang on now!

You owe me at least a winner rating for that buster.

 

[Danfunkel]

My favourite Spurs pod and has been for awhile. I find the rest stuffy and quite negative at times - not for me. Also the fanzine they produce is brilliant - very high quality. Well worth a few quid.

 

[Gb160]

I thought the agent bit was shit personally.
Seemed to think all players and agents are and think exactly the same way and are only motivated by greed.
Should be pointed out he's a failed agent as well (his words), who has only had the likes of Ashley Williams (when he was at Stockport) on his books, and he now looks after Jimmy Bullards media career...he's hardly Jorge Mendes.

 

[rossdapep]

You get the impression that Rio Ferdinand was a massive sod for tapping up players.

I think that they missed a trick here, they could have asked him if he thinks there's any rules that can be implemented to cut out the bad elements of agents.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Well, none of it was particularly ground breaking, the former agent was mostly going by what he's encountered in the past and what other agents are like. I'll try to bullet point bits I can remember:

- A lot of agents are scumbags but not all of them, the 'good guys' tend to go unnoticed because no one wants to report on someone doing a good job, it's the agents like Ward and Barnett that will always get the headlines.
- To be an agent you basically have to know a player who is willing to have you represent them, and from there you get hired by an agency who wants your player, it's very difficult to work your way into being an agent these days.
- Agents very rarely get a piece of the transfer pie, what normally happens is they'll get a percentage of a player's wages and so hence they're always trying for bigger wages. He added that this means it isn't necessarily always beneficial for agents to have their player keep swapping clubs, and it can be more beneficial to simply have them stay at a club which rewards players with regular wage increases.
- He mentioned how he encountered a lot of greedy parents in particular
- He shed light on why people like Scott Sinclair and Rodwell move to Man City and basically said most players would jump at the chance simply because they it would be amazing to double your wages for a few years
- Off the pitch Alli is basically a marketing dream and an agents dream and everyone would want him, apparently his agent must be licking his lips
- He reckoned even Kane would be on his phone to his agent should a bigger club become interested regardless of what is said in public, he included United and City in that
- He also added that it would be up to Levy though very likely and that agents don't like to upset the hierarchy at clubs they have regularly dealings with
- Also mentioned most agents make their money picking up loads of youth players and hoping they make it big time, and threw in a story about how someone threatened to break his legs over the potential signing of a player
- Agents and other players are very often in a players ear telling them they can get them a big move or a better offer if they switch agents

If I remember anything else I'll add it, but you might as well listen to it

@King of Otters is going to love this. He thinks managers and footballers do it for love.

 

[Lufti]

@King of Otters is going to love this. He thinks managers and footballers do it for love.

To be honest, even with all that said, and even though he specifically referenced Kane, I still think he's different. Yes, I realise I sound like a teen girl fawning over some young pop star, insisting he could love me even though we've never met, but hey. There are some exceptions regardless of what the bloke says, and I think Kane might be one of them. I know people said the same about Bale, but let's face it, the club wasn't in as a good a shape back then as it is now, and Bale didn't grow up a Spurs fan.

 

[King of Otters]

@King of Otters is going to love this. He thinks managers and footballers do it for love.

Come on now, BC. You're the one who wants to paint this argument in black and white terms, not me. As far as you're concerned the probability of someone like Kane leaving us for Utd is as cut and dry as a player from MK Dons wanting to join Spurs. Whereas I've argued that, depending on a number of factors - our continued progression on and off the field, Levy's continued willingness to reward talent financially within our means etc - I believe it's possible that a player like Kane, who, yes, has an emotional attachment to the club, would, perhaps, even quite probably, feel it within his interests to turn down bigger wages at Utd.

Clubs like that are queuing round the block for him right now so I guess we'll find out the truth sooner rather than later.

 

[YiddoInPoland]

Have to say, and maybe its just me, but i really don't enjoy the Fighting cock when i listen to it. I don't find them overly knowledgeable and the "banter" is a bit crass. The Guardian Football weekly podcast is much more my cup of tea as they seem to have a good laugh with it and know what they are talking about.

Nothing against anyone who enjoys FC though, each to their own and all that.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Come on now, BC. You're the one who wants to paint this argument in black and white terms, not me. As far as you're concerned the probability of someone like Kane leaving us for Utd is as cut and dry as a player from MK Dons wanting to join Spurs. Whereas I've argued that, depending on a number of factors - our continued progression on and off the field, Levy's continued willingness to reward talent financially within our means etc - I believe it's possible that a player like Kane, who, yes, has an emotional attachment to the club, would, perhaps, even quite probably, feel it within his interests to turn down bigger wages at Utd.

Clubs like that are queuing round the block for him right now so I guess we'll find out the truth sooner rather than later.

I've never painted anything as black and white, things rarely are, I just think many fans are invariably too emotionally involved to see or accept the realities of the industry. To them football is this emotive thing - but to most footballers and managers it's largely a job and like the rest of us, money (and ambition) plays a massive part in their choices, even more so because they know their careers or their "window of demand" can be exceedingly short lived.

It's one of the reasons I rarely get pissed with players who want and do move to "bigger" clubs.

I have never said Kane or Pochettino will definitely leave the first time an uber club flash their knickers at them, all I said was that both would almost certainly seriously consider it, the money, the kudos, the opportunity that they are always only one bad season or bad injury away from losing for ever etc.

Personally I think the best chance we have of not losing Kane to an EPL rival any time soon is Levy who, unlike most other chairman, has now refused to sell both Modric and Bale to EPL rivals. But even then I would say every player has his price and not just for us, for most football teams on this planet. And every footballer who wants to leave invariably gets his wish sooner or later, and that goes for every club, just players are less likely to want to leave clubs paying them ludicrous salaries.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

Have to say, and maybe its just me, but i really don't enjoy the Fighting cock when i listen to it. I don't find them overly knowledgeable and the "banter" is a bit crass. The Guardian Football weekly podcast is much more my cup of tea as they seem to have a good laugh with it and know what they are talking about.

Nothing against anyone who enjoys FC though, each to their own and all that.

Best Pod I find is The Football Ramble. Not spurs based but its really funny and Luke Moore is especially good.

 

[Wirral Spurs]

Best Spurs pod for me.

 

[JonnySpurs]

The beauty of the fighting cock podcast is that it's by real fans that genuinely adore the club as much as the rest of us. Sure, they swear a lot and talk about getting hammered from time to time but they also tell great away day stories and debate things that we're all talking about on websites like SC each week.

They have good guests on there and the reputation of the pod is growing all the time. For me it's a little bit like Spurs related therapy and helps me to either deal better with a loss, knowing others are in it with me, or revel in victory which has been the norm this season thankfully.

I'll continue to listen as long as it's running and genuinely look forward to downloading it each week.

Here's a smashin video of Flav and his Dad talking about what it means to them to support Spurs.....