Poll wants more top-flight refs

Riley succeeded Keith Hackett as referees' chief on 1 January

Former referee Graham Poll has warned that the number of referees officiating in the Premier League is "not healthy".

Poll believes new referees boss Mike Riley must add to the 16 officials currently operating in the top flight.

"There aren't enough referees," Poll told BBC One. "Refereeing a team seven or eight times a season is not healthy.

"The first thing Mike Riley needs to do is look lower down the national list and promote more people up to be a Premier League referee."

Riley succeeded the retiring Keith Hackett as general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) on 1 January and started work on Monday.

The 44-year-old Riley has had six months to prepare for the role after he was named successor to Hackett, 65, on 26 June 2009.

Riley spent 20 years as a referee, taking charge of Premier League matches for 13 years and officiating at Euro 2004, before retiring at the end of the 2008-09 season.

He should be familiar with many of the issues that lie ahead having been involved in a number of controversial situations as an official.

606: DEBATE What do you think are the main issues facing new referees chief Mike Riley?

And Poll has highlighted respect and protection for referees as a key area for improvement.

"They are certainly not protected enough," said the 46-year-old, who refereed at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as the 2000 FA Cup final and 2005 Uefa Cup final.

"The respect campaign was something that was brought in at the start of last season to help them with that. I think the focus has come off that and we're seeing more and more dissent from players on the pitch.

"An early job for Mike Riley will be to talk to the FA to really reinvigorate the Respect programme."

Poll is also of the opinion that referees need to be stronger which, he feels, is difficult given the PGMO's relationship with the Premier League.

"It's strength that's required from referees. That's what gets respect - strength - and we're not seeing referees being strong enough," added Poll.

"One of the reasons for that is that Mike Riley reports into a board which is basically run by the Premier League. So it's the clubs themselves who are dictating policy as opposed to the laws of the game."

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