Changes are planned at the PGMO, which is responsible for referees in the Premier League, at the end of this season.
First of all, three of its long serving referees are retiring. Martin Atkinson, who became the number one referee in the country after Howard Webb went to America to set up the trial of VAR at the MLS.
Jonathan Moss is also retiring from refereeing on the PGMO. His refereeing has not always gone smoothly. There was the unprecedented public correcting of one of his decisions, by Mike Riley, head of the PGMO and Arsenal supporters got up a petition to stop him refereeing any more of their games.
Mike Dean, the longest ever serving Premier League referee, with over 550 games to his credit and having issued the highest number of red cards has also retired.
He is just as well known for his somewhat theatrical gestures. I have only met him once and was surprised how quietly he spoke in view of his flamboyant nature on the football field.
But that’s not all the changes. Both Atkinson and Moss have been given new jobs in a revised set up. The PGMO costs about £23m a year which is met by the FA, the Football League, and the Premier League.
We are told the re-organisation, which has come about after criticism that the standard of referees reaching the top level has been falling, will cost another £500,000 a year.
What I find slightly odd is that Mike Riley is also ‘introducing’ a sport scientist to the group. Back in Keith Hackett’s time as head of the PGMO there were two sport scientists. Mathew Weston and Simon Breivik, who I remember listening to and hastily scribbling his comments on making referees fitter in my note book.
There was also a sprint coach as of course the game has got much quicker and referees need to be able to keep up with it, to make the best decisions. A vision scientist and a sport psychologist were also used. Keith Hackett commissioned Professor Don McClaren to produce nutritional advice for referees and I would be happy to email a copy of his booklet to any referee who would like one.
I don’t know how much of this has been scrapped like the Prozone which I have written about before, but it now seems that Mike Riley is having to revive at least some of it, whilst changing its management.
