I think the ref should just sent off anyone that is disrespectful. I am sorry, but if you have kicked hooligan fans out of the stadia, why still allow players to behave like one?

Referees should be able to do their job without being constantly abused. Rugby is a much more physical game and emotions on the field are likely to be more fiery as well considering the amount of malicious intent put into every tackle. However I do not see them rugby boys berating the ref to get a decision. Only the captain/vice captain should be speaking politely to the referee. The refs job is hard enough as it is and having grown men constantly telling them to f**k off isn't going to help.

I honestly do not think that controversial calls are the cause of the abuses.

Rugby, even at its grassroot level, shows respect to the referee. There is rarely any case of dissent. And if there is, the player is either gonna get a very stern warning and a sin bin would quickly follow if the abuse persist.

I think the problem is with the way footballers perceive themselves. They are trying too hard to live up to the "football is a gentlemen's game for hooligans" mantra. They think by shouting abuses at the ref it would make them hard. I'm not saying that they should be bowing to the refs, but think about it this way, if you walk into a courtroom and face a judge and he ruled against you, would you dare to call him an absolute wank and tell him to go shove up his own stuck up little hole? Bare in mind that more often than not, there is more at stake in a courtroom than on a football pitch.

I think what the FA needs to do is to implement this Respect Ref campaign at grassroot. Start with the kids. Yellow card if you try to be a ******* with the ref. EPL stars are too rich, arrogant and set in their ways to change.

This post has been edited by Monstar: Jan 25 2011, 02:14 PM