A PAIR of top Football Association officials have been on the island to talk to local referees about dealing with bad behaviour. The subject is currently a hot topic in the British press after the FA executive, Brian Barwick, launched a pilot scheme earlier this week to combat the problem.

Ed Stone and Roger Vaughn are the FA regional refereeing officers for the south east and south west respectively and they addressed the Guernsey Football Association’s referees on the subject.

But the message from the two FA men was to take bad behaviour and particularly bad language in context and not for the referees to reach for the cards every time they hear something unsavoury.

‘Generally it’s a problem everywhere, but we know that people won’t be sent off every time they stub their toe and then swear under their breath,’ said Vaughn.

‘Context and volume have to be taken into consideration. We want the referees to deal with it through management rather than sanctions.’

Meanwhile, Graham Skuse, the man in charge of the local referees, says that there is a problem with bad language on the island.

‘There is some [bad language] but it has been brought to my attention,’ said Skuse.

Proposals in the FA’s pilot scheme to combat the problem include having only the team captain to be allowed to speak with the referee and roped-off areas introduced at junior matches so ‘over-indulgent or abusive’ parents cannot direct their bile at the referee.

In addition, all players and club officials will be forced to sign a ‘memorandum of understanding’ noting the standards of behaviour that is to be expected.

Gloucestershire is one county that is running the ‘captain and referee’ proposal and if deemed successful, it could be introduced over here along with the other ideas.

Critics including outspoken former top referee Graham Poll have said the problem needs to be addressed at the Premiership and international level and not at the grassroots where amateur players follow the example that they see at the top.

Vaughn disagrees saying it is been worked on at the professional level and it is just as important to deal with it at the grass roots.

‘It’s an issue certainly [at the top] but I know that the PFA, the LMA and the PGMO are doing their own exercises to try and sort it out,’ he said.

‘What we’re trying to do is address it at a grassroots level and get the message across that it’s not acceptable. I think that it’s something that’s been going on for decades and people have turned a blind eye to it. What we’re trying to do is turn the clock back.’

Vaughn and Stone ran a workshop with the island’s referees where bad behaviour and other topics such as referee’s positioning were discussed.

Skuse said it was a privilege to have the FA officials over.

‘I go away and they teach me. Then I come back and pass on what they’ve taught me, but if the teacher comes along – it’s got to be better,’ he said.