CHERRIES’ crucial trip to West Brom tomorrow, we learned earlier this week, will also serve as the first port of call on Mark Clattenburg’s Premier League farewell voyage.

But whatever you make of Clattenburg, and his valedictory lap of honour, the decision of this country’s best official to flee for the loot and a comparatively stress-free existence in Saudi Arabia is not something we should disregard lightly.

Referees have it in their gift to change the entire destiny of a football club.

It is too much to expect one individual to shoulder sole responsibility for making a marginal call that could shape a relegation battle, or alter the course of a title chase.

Certainly in these days when the rewards for staying in the Premier League – and, equally, for sharing in a slice of the Champions League pie - are measured in hundreds of millions of pounds.

The match that seemingly convinced Clattenburg to wind-up his career in England was Arsenal’s victory over Hull earlier this month.

He allowed an Arsenal goal to stand, which replays immediately revealed had been scored by the hand of Alexis Sanchez.

In the same game, Gunners defender Kieran Gibbs escaped with a booking when, as last-man, he cynically wiped out Hull forward Lazar Markovic.

Those two incidents dominated the football news agenda for the next 48 hours.

It was Clattenburg’s fellow Premier League referee Mike Dean feeling the heat earlier this year.

Dean harshly sent off Sofiane Feghouli in West Ham’s meeting with Manchester United on January 2.

He was subsequently accused by Hammers’ boss Slaven Bilic of “killing” the London team. But that wasn’t the half of it.

If Dean had opened a newspaper at any time in the ensuing days, chances are he would have been able to pore over an article assassinating his character.

Yes, Dean got the Feghouli decision horribly wrong. Likewise, Clattenburg made a mess of his day’s work in north London a fortnight ago.

More often than not, though, our referees get it right.

Which is quite remarkable given the explosive pace of today’s game – and the relentless, overbearing pressure applied on them by players, managers and supporters (as an aside, here, it is to Eddie Howe's credit that, even in hothouse that is the Premier League, he has remained true to his vow not to publicly climb into referees following matches).

We’ve all been there; screaming blue murder when our side have been mugged by the “incompetent ref”. Only for replays to prove the man in the middle has, in fact, accurately interpreted the incident in question.

Those moments are quickly forgotten. The odd occasion when the official errs, not so much.

Bolton Wanderers fans will still happily talk until the cows come home about the time Nathan Blake ‘scored’ against Everton in September 1997.

Despite the ball crossing the line, however, Blake’s goal was not awarded. The match ended 0-0 and Everton escaped relegation on the last day of the season, courtesy of their boasting a superior goal difference to… Bolton.

Likewise, Clattenburg was kept away from Goodison Park for more than six years after his erratic handling of a Merseyside Derby in 2007.

Crystal Palace fans have a gripe with the same man over his performance in their team’s FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United last year.

But, without doubt, this is our finest referee.

Clattenburg is a divisive personality, no question.

He did himself no favours by ostentatiously having himself plastered with tattoos to mark his personally heady 2016, when the 41-year-old took charge of both the Champions League and European Championship finals.

Those inkings on his left arm smack of an individual in possession of a mighty ego. But that very trait is probably why Clattenburg reached the summit of his profession in the first place.

One would assume that extreme self-belief is a prerequisite for anybody refereeing in the harum-scarum, high-stakes Premier League.

And, like it or not, it is time those egos were protected with a little extra assistance.

Goal-line technology has become a fundamental part of the Premier League landscape in the space of four years.

That is proof enough that the decisive moments in a football match need assessing by more than one pair of eyes – yes, the ‘assistant referee’ is on hand to chip in, but the referee is always the fall guy.

Take Cherries' match with Liverpool this season, for instance.

With the Merseysiders leading 3-1 James Milner swung in a corner that Artur Boruc prevented from entirely crossing his line by the tiniest of margins.

But without recourse to technology referee Bobby Madley would have had a decision to make. If he’d come down in favour of Milner, Howe’s team would have been three goals adrift of their opponents and as good as finished.

Cherries’ fans would have been denied the thrilling comeback that followed – and memories that will last a lifetime. Not to mention three points that look rather useful right now.

If Dean had enjoyed access to an alternative view of Feghouli’s challenge on Phil Jones he would not have dismissed the Algerian. More importantly, he’d have been spared the castigation to which he was then subjected.

Likewise, a word in Clattenburg’s ear to tell him Sanchez had scored illegally would have taken seconds and avoided a seismic fall out.

And consequently, England’s best referee – the man who handled both those European finals flawlessly – might not have been in such a hurry to scarper to a faraway land.

Cherries won’t give an inch in their efforts to pick up precious points at The Hawthorns.

West Brom’s unyielding approach comes as a given.

It won’t be an occasion for the faint-hearted, then. By extension, the right man is in charge.

For the sake of the Premier League's credibility it must cling on to its best referees. And if that means more technology, then that is what has to happen.