Referees' boss Howard Webb has told EFL clubs that Premier League match officials are earning an average of £240,000-a-year.
In a revealing presentation, the PGMOL chief disclosed that top-flight refs are costing the business close to a quarter of a million pounds - which is double what those in the Championship are paid.
It can also be revealed that Webb made a plea for more funding and warned that should the situation not change the refs’ body will lose £23.1MILLION over the next five years.
Officials have blamed inflation and an enhanced support system now in place for refs for the predicted shortfall, with an additional £10m per year spent on a training programme which focuses on a number of areas including VAR.