Fintan Drury's Platinum One sports management agency has had a busy pre-season on the football front across the water.

Drury's decision to spend a reported £750,000 (€1.1 million) bringing FC Barcelona to Scotland to play friendly matches against Dundee United and Hearts looks set to pay a tidy dividend for Platinum One.

The game against Dundee United at the 14,500-capacity Tannadice Park sold out in four days, while 33,000 tickets have been sold for the Hearts clash at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby.

This is expected to rise to 40,000 before the July 28th kick-off, which would make it a record crowd for a soccer game at Murrayfield.

Ticket sales could top the £1 million mark, while TV rights have been sold to Setanta. Drury should also secure advertising and sponsorship revenue from the deal.

Platinum One has also been busy off the field. Last Christmas the company recruited experienced England-based players agent John Seasman to beef up that end of the business.

Seasman added a number of players to the company's books, including Preston North End striker David Nugent.

Nugent made a scoring debut for England against Andorra in March and this week earned a move to the big time by transferring to Portsmouth for £6 million.

Pompey are believed to have offered £10,000 a week more in wages than Roy Keane's Sunderland to secure Nugent's signature. Happy days for Drury.

Agents typically get about 5 per cent of a player's gross salary. Nugent signed a four-year contract reported to be worth about £5 million in wages.

That would net Platinum One £250,000.

What you might call a nice little earner for the Paddy Power chairman.