the Premier League faces pressure to boost funding for the professional game match officials LTD pgmo amid a severe cash shortfall pom's reserves have dwindled from4 million pound to near zero largely due to Rising costs associated with v and referee training the organization's 25 million pound annual budget covers this season but increased funding will be necessary next year to avoid cuts to training programs which could exacerbate issues with referee diversity and development the Premier League English football league and Football Association contribute to pom's budget with ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the funding shortfall efforts are underway to address the lack of diversity among referees and the geographic concentration of officials with initiatives like the elite referee development plan and Core X Program working to diversify the pool of referees