The Scottish Premier League season will start on time this weekend after the threat of a referees' strike was averted.
Season to kick-off as planned
The Scottish Premier League season will start on time this weekend after the threat of a referees' strike was averted.
The men in the middle were looking for an increase on their £575 match fee and had demanded a near 40 per cent rise to £800.
An agreement has been reached between SPL officials and the whistle-blowers, with referees having secured a new deal ahead of a review of their pay in the coming weeks.
SPL operations director Iain Blair said: "Contrary to speculation earlier today, the Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixtures this weekend will go ahead as planned."
The Scottish Senior Referees' Association expect the review to cement their interim rise, and they are optimistic that comparisons with leagues on the continent will take their pay above the provisional £800 figure.
The union, headed by referee Stuart Dougal, have been looking for their fee to rise to £1,000 by 2010.
The new deal announced today will also see assistant referees receiving an increase to £400 and fourth officials to £200.
Confident
Dougal said: "The SSFRA today agreed the figure of £800/400/200 as the accepted fee structure for SPL games for the coming season.
"This allows the season to begin as scheduled on Saturday.
"We have further agreed to engage in a benchmarking process with appropriate European leagues.
"We are confident that we will not only secure but enhance the £800 figure we initially proposed."
Blair added: "At a meeting today with the SFA and the SSFRA, the SPL undertook to carry out a benchmarking exercise across European football to establish the appropriate fees going forward. The referees are seeking £800 per match.
"This exercise will involve the participation of all parties over the next six weeks or so."
The pay demands came as a surprise to the SPL, given that a deal was agreed within the last three years which saw referees receive an index-linked pay rise.
But a proposed £25 increase to £600 was met with fierce opposition by the match officials, with the threat of strike action raised.
