The Rational Ref | Referees are the poor outcasts in a sea of English Premier League wealth

Is having billions of pounds a blessing or a curse?

The English Premier League's latest cash cow comes from its £5.1 billion (HK$60 billion) three-year domestic television revenue for 2016-17 to 2018-19, up from the £3.018 billion deal made three years ago. But even before the ink had dried on the contract, questions were asked about how this staggering amount would be divided among those fortunate enough to be related to the world's wealthiest domestic soccer league.

Premiership clubs and their top players take the lion's share, but Richard Scudamore, the EPL's chief executive, announced last week it will also invest "at least £1 billion" on other "relatives" of the EPL. These recipients include grass-roots facilities, youth coaching, ticketing, solidarity payments to lower leagues and improving disabled access at clubs in the British Isles.

However, in the multibillion-pound inheritance stakes, match officials are always the poor, misunderstood, oddball cousins who are conveniently left out. The EPL provides £130 million annually into grassroots development. "The money we are putting into the grass roots is never enough," said Scudamore, who does not see the EPL as a charity.

Instead, Scudamore wants the FA and the government to invest more in facilities, rather than relying on EPL coffers. "The urban areas of Britain aren't well served. There are lots of young people living in high-density accommodation without an escape through football which is why our clubs are trying to do their bit through their community schemes. We can only do so much," said Scudamore.

Notice there is not one phrase in support of the development of referees. This practice of ignoring match officials occurs not only in England, but all over the world. Referees are mostly left out of development plans and, if included, are usually only there as an afterthought. This has to stop.

Considering the time and effort clubs, commentators, players, coaches, spectators and the media spend in complaining about refereeing standards, it does not take a genius to understand referees need better resources, training and support. As it stands, with the amount of criticism levelled at referees together with the high dropout rates owing to abuse and lack of support, it is a miracle a major refereeing crisis has not yet materialised.

But it is getting close. Recently, referees chief Mike Riley, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), publicly appealed for support to his beleaguered group of professional referees by asking for the introduction of video technology.