Standards must improve or Fergie et al may take drastic action

Yesterday, we told you our plans to improve the state of refereeing in the top flight, and it seems that many members of the League Managers Association (LMA) agree with our proposals. According to The Telegraph, certain managers are prepared to strike over refereeing standards, and they wish to implement new technologies and clearer rules to overcome the problems:

Some LMA members, aggrieved at what they perceive as referees’ shortcomings, have become militant and want more radical action.

[…]

Managers are calling for representation on the PGMOL and improved “referee talent identification”, according to the LMA.

They also want a proper debate on “goal-line technology, video technology, offside and handball laws, technical area dismissals and goalkeeper dismissals”.

Until they get the officiating standards they feel they deserve, managers may order their teams to stay in the dressing room at the point when referees would normally instruct the teams to line up in the tunnel. This would embarrass the officials and cause a right old kerfuffle for broadcasters (and , er, the fans who have paid a fortune to watch football, not to sit around and wait).

We’re pretty sure this strike would never happen - it sounds like the LMA are simply throeing their toys out of the pram ahead of a proposed meeting with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which has been called to iron the issues.