Men in black in the firing line
10:07am Wednesday 26th March 2008
REFEREE secretary Ken Ainsworth admits that there is a problem in the Bolton and District Sunday League with the men in black being abused.
The abuse is strictly verbal, but Mr Ainsworth admits that it is making his job harder as he tries to allocate officials for each game.
"We do lose referees because they don't like the abuse they take," said Mr Ainsworth. "I am always having to scout around for new refs.
"I have three referees who won't take charge of certain teams.
"It seems to be that players react badly if they don't agree with a decision or they lose.
"It seems to happen in the higher-profile games that we put on.
"People definitely see it on the television and it filters down."