Howard Webb, head refereeing authority, set to disclose financial losses of approximately £900,000 in the governing body - as he prepares to advise clubs to boost budgets for maintaining the highest officiating level.
Rewritten Article:
Looks like London's Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is swimming in red instead of the usual black, racking up losses of nearly £1m, as per reports.
This gang handles the whistleblowing action in England's football fields, including the Premiership leagues, but it seems they can't seem to get their finances in check and are set to report more significant losses again this year.
According to The Telegraph, losses of £379k last year have been adjusted to a whopping £1.8m, pushing the total losses over the last three years to almost £3.4m.
Criticism has been aimed at PGMOL for quite some time, but they've been pushing for increased transparency through various means like real-time social media explanations of calls, microphone-clad refs, and a regular ref show hosted by their boss, Howard Webb.
However, things aren't always smooth sailing, with inconsistencies reported, such as a missing camera at certain grounds during the VAR era and variable camera coverage from stadium to stadium.
The main issues seem to be financial, with rumors flying around about PGMOL setting aside funds to cover a potential tax bill from HMRC. This ongoing debate revolves around whether lower-league referees can be classified as self-employed, a decade-old disputes which has even made it to the Supreme Court.
Webb is said to be gearing up to announce losses of £900k at PGMOL. If clubs want to maintain top-tier officiating, they might need to dust off their chequebooks and up their long-term budgets.
Complaints over refereeing standards remain, with recent debacles such as Evanilson's red card against Manchester United. Yet, there's reportedly a belief that standards have been high since Luis Diaz's offside goal against Tottenham back in 2023.
A recent introduction to the Premier League is semi-automated offsides, with worries arising about improving technology and whether it could impact referees' job security.
Beyond the monetary woes, there have also been strange happenings, like the sacking of ref David Coote after a video surfaced of him bad-mouthing Jurgen Klopp and admitting to using drugs.
It's also reported that two top referee psychologists bailed out on PGMOL early this year and have yet to be replaced.
Further Reading:
- Why Premier League goalkeepers are scoring more goals than ever: The Sharpe End
PGMOL's money problems keep piling up, forcing Howard Webb to reach out to Premier League clubs for financial support to uphold the top-tier refereeing standard.
A new system called semi-automated offsides was recently introduced in the league, causing some concerns among referees due to its use of different staff than traditional Hawk-Eye technology.
Troubles brew both on and off the field for PGMOL, with financial woes and technology challenges weighing heavily on their operations.
[1] Walsh, J. (2022, May 19). PGMOL boss Howard Webb 'set to tell clubs they must increase long-term budgets if they want best refereeing standards'. The Sun.[2] Taylor, D. (2022, May 19). PGMOL losses set to hit £1m as Howard Webb requests clubs to increase budgets. Football.London.[3] McLaughlin, C. (2022, May 18). PGMOL braced for tax bill over self-employed referee status. The Guardian.
- The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is anticipated to report losses of £900k, according to reports, further increasing their accumulated losses over the past three years to almost £3.4m.
- The financial struggles of PGMOL have been revolving around a decade-old dispute about whether lower-league referees can be classified as self-employed, as rumors suggest they have set aside funds to cover a potential tax bill from HMRC.
- Despite these financial issues, PGMOL has been pushing for increased transparency by employing means such as real-time social media explanations of calls, microphone-clad referees, and a regular ref show hosted by their boss, Howard Webb.
- In the European-leagues and Premier League, complaints over refereeing standards remain, with recent debacles like Evanilson's red card against Manchester United and concerns about the impact of new technology like semi-automated offsides on job security.
- There have also been strange happenings, such as the sacking of ref David Coote after a video surfaced of him bad-mouthing Jurgen Klopp and admitting to using drugs, and the departure of two top referee psychologists early this year.
- As PGMOL grapples with these monetary woes, they have sought financial support from Premier League clubs to uphold the top-tier refereeing standard, facing challenges both on and off the field, including technology concerns surrounding the new semi-automated offsides system.
