Leagues to propose new rules

The English Football League will propose a new code of conduct for players' agents at the end of the season, its chairman said yesterday.

"There are lots of rules for agents but agents are not policed effectively enough," Lord Brian Mawhinney said.

Mawhinney was speaking at a public hearing in Brussels, part of an independent review in to how the game is run across the European Union.

"We will propose a new code of conduct for players' agents at our annual meeting in June which will be very rigorous," Mawhinney said.

The review was set up under the British presidency of the EU in December, sponsored by the EU executive European Commission and UEFA to investigate football's role in relation to EU law.

It aims to give an opinion on how the game is run and how it should be run in the future. A final report will be presented to EU political and football leaders in June.

Mawhinney told Tuesday's hearing football had to be protected.

"We must enhance the link with the local community. The gap between the top and the bottom is getting bigger than anyone could ever imagine," Mawhinney said.

The English league chairman, called for a smaller European and international calendar.

"The influx of midweek games at international and European level has hit us hard. Fans are not going along to their local club, but instead staying at home to watch Champions League or such like," Mawhinney said.