What An Incredible Fluke LVI!

The PGMOB Select Group of referees for Premier League games features the ludicrously small number of just 18 officials.

This is a structure seemingly primed for corruption.

But the hyperreality is worse still.

Stuart Attwell has been demoted due to the poor standard of his officiating.
Peter Walton was forced to retire early following disclosures about his alleged biases - he is no longer in the country.
Martin Atkinson has been overlooked since he gave the ghost goal to Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final (presumably 18 Chelsea matches without refereeing any defeats has finally been noticed).
Although, hilariously, Atkinson has been given the Europa Cup Semi Final at Bilbao this evening!
Howard Webb, Mark Clattenburg together with Atkinson are away in Turkey training for Euro 2012 from next Monday.

This leaves just 13 referees for the key matches next week with Webb and Clattenburg being forced to squeeze in a match before flying out.

Serie A has 32 top flight referees, the Bundesliga has 22 and La Liga 19.

The result of such a select Select Group is that rookie referee Mike Jones, for instance, is going to be a busy man.
His diary?

Thu: Athletic Bilbao v Sp Lisbon (AAR)
Sat: WBA v Aston Villa (4th Official)
Sun: Spurs v Blackburn (Referee)
Mon: Man City v Man Utd (4th Official)

As the standard of officiating in the Premier League is truly dire, what on earth are the justifications for having such a miniscule number of match referees?

The Premier League integrity is Graphene thin...

What a weird fluke!