The FA has told the Premier League to give referees a pay rise in order to prevent them from joining the Saudi Pro League where referees receive £1million.
A number of Europe’s best referees have been tempted by the big pay increase in Saudi Arabia. England’s top referees currently earn around £150,000-a-year according to former referee Mark Halsey who said: “The PGMOL could offer our officials higher salaries to keep them there.”
Halsey also told talkSPORT that ‘by far’ the best referee in England, Michael Oliver, would go to Saudi. “It’s financial security for the rest of your life,” he added.
talkSPORT regular and former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan believes referees should get a pay rise regardless:
“I believe there should be more money made available to the referees anyway,” he said.
“I think the PGMOL should be dealing with the Premier League on a percentage contribution to be able to enhance the level of refereeing compensation to a level that is commensurate with the scale of the game.
“I would like it to be performance indexed but I would like to think a £250,000 base salary with the opportunity to get up to £500,000 for a top referee that referees 20 or 30 times a season in the Premier League wouldn’t be something that’s unreasonable.”
Further expanding on his point, Jordan said: “It’s a challenge of running this business, they’ll nick a couple of top referees from the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, and we will then have the opportunity to have a succession programme.
“We might then look at the remuneration the referees get. I’ve always maintained that if we want the best in class they should have a St Georges’ for referees, they should have the quality assurance and standards in place for the best in class, and they should pay them that way.
“I know players are the talent, and I’m not suggesting that we make referees millionaires just for the sake of it, what I’m saying is commensurate with the game and the riches of the game it seems like a disproportionate amount that the officials in control of the game get a very small amount in comparison.”
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