Referees’ fees set

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE 2014 Zifa referees fees have been announced with Premiership league match officials set to get $20 more per match than what they were paid last season.
According to the referees’ fees chart released last night, the centre official and the match commissioner will now get $180, up from $160, the two assistants and fourth official are set to get $160 each, up from $140.

The figures are the same for first round cup matches while quarter-final match officials will get a higher figure. The centre referee and match commissioner will get $250 while the other officials will be paid $230 in the quarter finals. In the semi-finals the match commissioner and centre referee will get $500 with the other officials collecting $450 each.

Cup final officials will all get a uniform figure of $750.
There have been calls for the local referees’ fees to be reviewed upwards as a way of reducing cases of corruption. Match officials also want a fixed time for payment as opposed to the present scenario whereby clubs decide to either pay at halftime or soon after the match.

In some cases referees have been left stranded after losing clubs delayed payment.
In the Barclays Premiership in England, referees have a a minimum salary of 38,500 British pounds per annum which however goes up to between 70,000 and 85, 000 British pounds if match fees of 1,150 pounds are added, depending on the number of matches which each of the 18 referees would have handled.

Howard Webb is the highest earner as he handles a minimum of 30 matches per season.