I think this sounds like a good idea. The players are most likely those from lower leagues who still need to work after retirement because they aren’t rich - and that also means they’ll have no real conflict of interest with the teams they’re officiating.

Not only is it a good way to get fresh blood into refereeing, it also gives further employment prospects to these lower league players who might not be interesed in or cut out for coaching.

No, I dont think outright match-fixing is happening if thats what you mean. I do however believe that some teams are absolutely doped to the gills.

How dare you leave out the footballing powerhouse of Northern Ireland

Did you start watching football last season?

The bonus point rule has worked fine in Rugby, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it leads to teams going all out to get the extra point - its exactly what it says; a nice bonus. Plus with the amount of matches these days I would be worried about pushing players even harder.