Why refs merit table deserves a black mark
WHO doesn’t like the idea of a bonus from work? We all do.
Everyone likes a few extra quid in the pay packet at Christmas.
Or perhaps it’s part of your overall salary – a performancerelated carrot.
You know, like Premier League referees. Yes. That’s right.
Top-flight officials receive a bonus based on a merit table at the end of every season. The further up the rankings they rise, the more they earn.
It can add an extra £50,000 to their yearly take-home pay.
On top of the £100,000-£120,000 that the big-hitters trouser, that’s not to be sniffed at.
That’s a decent return for what is, effectively, keeping fit, implementing changes to the laws of the game and administering them up to a maximum of three times per week.
And the better you are at it, the more your bank balance benefits. Happy days!
But here’s the problem – and it’s a structural issue that needs sorting.
Rumours swirling around the game suggest referees are reluctant to call out their own over VAR mistakes for fear of being marked down and losing their spot in the merit table.
Top-flight officials have left themselves open to the charge that they do not like pointing the finger at their colleagues in case they lose their performance-related pay. Think about it.
Let’s say Referee A is a friend of Referee B. There’s a decision – like Manchester City’s penalty claim in midweek when Phil Foden was clattered into by Southampton keeper Alex Mccarthy.
Jon Moss was the man-in-themiddle. He thought the Saints’ shotstopper got a touch on the ball.
At Stockley Park, Andy Madley did not overturn the decision or ask for it to be reviewed on the pitchside monitor because he somehow couldn’t prove that wasn’t the case.
As reasons go, it was lame.
After the final whistle, Sky pundit Graeme Souness accused the officials of ‘making it up as they go along.’ Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola called it: ‘Incredible.”
However, imagine if Moss had been asked to look again at the incident by Madley. It implies the man-inthe-middle got it wrong.
He would be marked down for that. If it was overturned, he would be marked down some more by the assessors.
It is easier for Madley to side with his pal and insist the original decision stands. He doesn’t want to be seen as a snitch, right? And, who knows, next week it could be him on the receiving end.
So, referees do not like calling out their own over decisions – even if they are wrong. The reason is that merit table.
If the difference between finishing first and eighth is £20,000 – well, it would matter, right?
It needs scrapping – existing referees should not be left to adjudicate on each other at Stockley Park. It should be left to former officials – who have no skin in the game – to pass judgement without fear or favour.
And a flat fee for doing so would ensure fairness all round.
THE GLAZER family have sold a chunk of their shareholding – and Manchester United’s supporters are upset. Understandable. But their club is a huge profitgenerating cash machine.
Contrast this with Nottingham Forest, who reported a £32million operating loss this week.
Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly losing £1.5m per month and Birmingham’s debt is over £100m. Now, doesn’t look too bad at all, does it?