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Premier League is best in the world but our referees aren’t good enough – it’s time to hire officials from abroad
Keith Hackett has called for the PGMOL to draft in foreign referees to improve the standard of officiating in the Premier League. The former FIFA referee has been an outspoken critic of the current quality of top-flights officials. talkSPORTHackett has called for the PGMOL to draft in foreign referees[/caption] GettyThe former official has criticised the standard of Premier League referees[/caption] Hackett’s refereeing career saw him take charge of matches in the Football League and Premier League. He also oversaw two FA Cup finals during the 1980s and was an official at Euro 1988. After retiring, the 80-year-old later worked as general manager of the PGMOL. Hackett has now called for the refereeing body to recruit foreign referees for the Premier League. He told Breakfast: “You know, in my era, even when I was boss of the PGMOL, I spent £5m to improve the standard of refereeing. That figure is now over £33m. “So it’s not a financial problem. There are some referees on that list that I could say that if I was the boss, I’m not, I retired from it, would not be on that list because they’re not good enough. “I mean, I used the phrase that probably league players are not Premier League players. And that’s the difference. “You’ve got to be absolutely top of the game. We’ve only got two or three referees that I would consider good enough – that match the people of Jack Taylor, Gordon Hill, George Courtney and the likes of this world. I think that sadly we are in a dip. “It poses the question for me. We’ve got the best league in the world. We have the best players. We don’t have the best referees. “Therefore, it’s time we should consider importing referees and getting them on a plane and coming in and refereeing games and going back home. I think that that’s where we’re at at the moment.” GettyJarred Gillett is the Premier League’s only current overseas referee[/caption] So far this season, 22 different referees have officiated Premier League matches. Of those, only one has been from overseas, with Australia’s Jarred Gillett taking charge of six matches. Gillett has been a Premier League official since taking charge of his first match in 2021. The 38-year-old is only the second referee in the league’s history to have been born outside the UK. He is also the only Premier League referee ever to have been born outside the British Isles. VAR has come under-fire in recent weeks after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off, only for referee Michael Oliver not be recommended to review the decision. Lewis-Skelly was sent off, only for it to be overturnedAFP The red card was later overturned, but put VAR further in the spotlight. However, the Premier League believe its referees are setting a model for other leagues. It has reported just 13 mistakes made by VAR this season, down from 20 last campaign. On the statistics, Hackett added: “They’re marking their own homework. It’s as simple as that. They can produce statistics however they like.”
Keith Hackett has called for the PGMOL to draft in foreign referees to improve the standard of officiating in the Premier League.
The former FIFA referee has been an outspoken critic of the current quality of top-flights officials.
Hackett’s refereeing career saw him take charge of matches in the Football League and Premier League.
He also oversaw two FA Cup finals during the 1980s and was an official at Euro 1988.
After retiring, the 80-year-old later worked as general manager of the PGMOL.
Hackett has now called for the refereeing body to recruit foreign referees for the Premier League.
He told Breakfast: “You know, in my era, even when I was boss of the PGMOL, I spent £5m to improve the standard of refereeing. That figure is now over £33m.
“So it’s not a financial problem. There are some referees on that list that I could say that if I was the boss, I’m not, I retired from it, would not be on that list because they’re not good enough.
“I mean, I used the phrase that probably league players are not Premier League players. And that’s the difference.
“You’ve got to be absolutely top of the game. We’ve only got two or three referees that I would consider good enough – that match the people of Jack Taylor, Gordon Hill, George Courtney and the likes of this world. I think that sadly we are in a dip.
“It poses the question for me. We’ve got the best league in the world. We have the best players. We don’t have the best referees.
“Therefore, it’s time we should consider importing referees and getting them on a plane and coming in and refereeing games and going back home. I think that that’s where we’re at at the moment.”
So far this season, 22 different referees have officiated Premier League matches.
Of those, only one has been from overseas, with Australia’s Jarred Gillett taking charge of six matches.
Gillett has been a Premier League official since taking charge of his first match in 2021.
The 38-year-old is only the second referee in the league’s history to have been born outside the UK.
He is also the only Premier League referee ever to have been born outside the British Isles.
VAR has come under-fire in recent weeks after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off, only for referee Michael Oliver not be recommended to review the decision.
The red card was later overturned, but put VAR further in the spotlight.
However, the Premier League believe its referees are setting a model for other leagues.
It has reported just 13 mistakes made by VAR this season, down from 20 last campaign.
On the statistics, Hackett added: “They’re marking their own homework. It’s as simple as that. They can produce statistics however they like.”
