Premier League referees 'earn five times more than Football League counterparts'

Premier League referees reportedly dwarf their Football League counterparts financially by earning five times more in the top flight.

A report by the Daily Mail has claimed that Select Group referees, who mainly work in the top flight of English football, are on a basic salary of £65,000 per year.

It is believed that top officials also receive in excess of £1,000 per Premier League game, while referees in the National Group, who work in the lower tiers, are paid around £380 per match.

The report claims that if top flight referees officiated 38 games in a season, they could earn more than £100,000 in a year, while Football League referees would be paid £17,480 for officiating 46 games in a campaign.