THERE are generally 23 people on a football pitch at any time and one of them is under more pressure than most: the referee.

The modern game is faster, more pressured and awash with money. To date these riches have not dribbled down to the man in black. The move to make FA Premiership referees professional will redress the balance on the pitch. As York referee Matt Messias says of Manchester United's captain: "When you have someone like Roy Keane earning £70,000 a week and you as a referee are earning peanuts what respect is a referee going to get?"

Putting the all-important referee on a closer footing to footballers makes sense.

So long as we don't have to hear about their haircuts.

Updated: 10:51 Thursday, June 14, 2001