English referees will be professional next season, the Football Association have confirmed.
In a joint initiative with the Premier League and Football League, the FA today announced a massive overhaul of plans for the management, training and development of all match officials officiating in the professional game.
The new scheme will make referees more accountable, and will also enable them to go full-time thanks to the financial incentives on offer - which could see the top officials earning as much as Stg£60,000 a year.
The referees' National Review Board is to be replaced by a new stand-alone organisation, called the Professional Game Match Officials Board.
The group will consist of the three governing bodies' chief executives and refereeing managers in addition to the FA's head of refereeing.
This radical restructuring, aimed at continuing to improve the overall standard of refereeing in the professional game, will see match officials categorised into two groups. The select group will officiate in the Premier League and other competitions and comprise of 24 referees and 48 assistant referees.
Referees in this group will receive an annual retainer of Stg£33,000 plus match fees of Stg£900 for their commitment to training and development over several days each month in addition to their match commitments.
PA