adminPremier League referees’ fees are $120 for the centre man and $100 for the assistants while in Division One the fees are $45 and $40 for the centre man and assistants respectively. Division Two referees are paid $20 for the centre man and $17 for assistants while Division Three and Four fees are pegged at $12 for the centre man and $10 for assistants.
Zimbabwe Soccer Referees Association secretary-general, Batsirayi Muchenje, confirmed that his association wanted the fees reviewed upwards to cushion members.
“We were supposed to have a meeting with the PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele last week but we could not. However that meeting will be held before the end of this week. I cannot disclose the proposed figures but what I can confirm is that we are seeking an increase in fees,” said Muchenje.
He said after meeting with the PSL chief executive, his committee will hold a similar meeting with Zifa sometime next week to discuss the issue.
The referees are likely to meet stiff resistance from clubs, some of whom were struggling to pay the existing fees.
Last year, the PSL was at one time forced to bail out some clubs after they had failed to pay the officials their dues. This was after the referees threatened to boycott matches involving these defaulters.
However, clubs could get a reprieve if the proposed sponsorship package for referees materialises this year. There were reports late last year that a giant mining company had offered to pay match officials fees and the negotiations, according to an official from Zifa, are already underway.
Online Reporter