Football: Referees set to strike

A STRIKE by referees and linesmen moved a step closer yesterday when their national association rejected a Premier League pay offer.

Officials of the Association of Premier League and Football League Referees and Linesmen are asking for pounds 400 a match to referee Premier League games but have been offered about half that. They currently receive pounds 145.

Yesterday the offer was unanimously rejected by 500 delegates at an Extraordinary General Meeting at the association's annual conference in Blackpool.

The meeting gave president Neil Midgley and his committee a mandate to pursue their claim. Midgley said: 'The issue is not just about remuneration - it is about the status of match officials and the genuine desire of the Association to achieve even higher refereeing standards.'