CHRIS Casper has backed a move to stop clubs in the Football League paying money directly to agents.

According to a recent report, Bury paid out more than £12,000 to players' representatives over the second half of last season.

It was the first time such payments had been made since the report was made public three seasons ago by the Football League, whose chairman Lord Mawhinney has long-since championed a clampdown.

Casper said he expected the League to announce the changes on September 1 - a day after the transfer deadline.

"I know a lot of good agents, but there comes a time when the rules have got to be set in stone," Casper said. "It doesn't happen so much at our level, but I do not see why clubs should have to pay for players' representation.

"Most agents aren't like that, they do deal with the player and don't leave it to the club.

"What the report has shown is that clubs are not paying as much for agents. Hopefully, the rule will state that clubs don't have to pay agent's fees any more."

Only Colchester, Blackpool, Cheltenham, Huddersfield, Stockport and Wrexham now remain as clubs in the Football League who have not paid fees to agents, although Casper pointed out they do have a role to play in the game - a view echoed by Shakers' director of football, Keith Alexander "We have had a lot of good trialists in here because of a lot of good agents," he said.

"We can use agents by contacting them and asking them who they have out of contract, or they may phone you to ask if you are interested in their players.

"That's great - both sides are working together. What I have got a problem with is when they unsettle players that are under contract with another club."

Alexander, who admits his views on agents have mellowed, added: "My views have changed over the last five or six seasons. Unfortunately, agents are here and if you do not deal with them, you lose out on 50 per cent of the players that are available.

"They are part of the game now, but we have to make sure that if they are paid by the football club, or paid by the player, that they conduct themselves in the right manner."

Casper witnessed first hand the problems which can be caused by agents after Marc Pugh's services were hawked around over Christmas last season.

Pugh eventually joined Shrewsbury Town after stalling over signing a new deal at Gigg Lane for over six months and being linked with several different clubs in the process.

"The Marc Pugh situation was very disappointing," Casper admitted.

"If a player is going to get five or 10 per cent better wages at a club where he isn't going to progress as much, then the biggest picture tells me he is better off staying where he is.

"He might get paid that little bit less, but he will be a better player and progress more quickly. Sometimes agents just see pound signs and the players should not get sucked into that.

"If he is given the right advice, a player when he retires, hopefully in his late thirties, will have made a lot more money by making the right choices."