Scotland's "under-fire referees" on Sunday insisted "they are not holding a gun to the heads of the SFA and SPFL by demanding a fairer deal for whistlers at every level of the game," according to David McCarthy of the Scotland DAILY RECORD. Scottish Senior Football Referees Association Chair James Bee is "adamant that their 150-strong membership" are not considering strike action despite "negotiations between the three parties reaching an impasse." Further talks are "due to be held within two weeks as Bee tries to broker a deal that will see match officials from the lower reaches of the game receive a wage rise." The SPFL is "believed to be proposing a redistribution of the current
budget that would give whistlers in top games more cash but reduce
payments" for lower graded top-flight games. There are "also proposals to increase Championship games" from £195 ($323) to £350 ($580) but the SSFRA is asking for £300 ($497) per game. Bee believes stories published last week "misrepresented Scotland’s referees and painted them as money-grabbers." Bee said, "We don't want to strike. There's no appetite in the refereeing community. We've never once mentioned it as a possibility. It's not something we're considering" (DAILY RECORD, 8/25).
