THE lack of respect for authority in football has been laid bare for all to see.

I watch a lot of matches and, sadly, have probably become blasé over time to the way players treat officials with utter contempt.

There are examples in the Premier League every week and at the Worcester City-Barrow match last Saturday, opposition manager Darren Edmondson and striker Andy Cook openly hounded a linesman for giving offside.

It’s not much better in the stands. Grown men, who normally wouldn’t say boo to a goose, turn into the most obnoxious of individuals just because their team hasn’t been awarded a throw-in.

The problem has developed to such an extent that players who don’t confront referees seem to be in the minority.

It gives football a terrible image and I hadn’t realised how bad until I was captivated by the compulsive viewing that was the England-France Six Nations showdown.

The stakes could not have been higher, yet referee Nigel Owens controlled the combustive contest with the utmost authority.

When a group of players got involved with a bit of ‘afters’ he calmly took the two captains to one side and told them to cut it out or he would do it for them by way of yellow cards. Owens was heard over the microphone to say that such scenes gave rugby a bad name and he wouldn’t tolerate it.

The players obeyed him. Now, I’m not naive enough to think that some quite unsavoury things occur on a rugby field that escape the view of referees, particularly in the scrum.

But, crucially, when the referee speaks, the players listen. He is not questioned. Players that do get short shrift. They might not agree but they accept it and move on.

Could you imagine that happening in football? No, thought not.

Those who claim rugby and football are different cultural environments use an argument that doesn’t wash. They might be different but respect should cross the divide of all sports and football continues to shame itself.

The FA have a respect campaign but it is worthless. The fact football needs to learn from another sport in such a basic principle is damning in itself.