SEVENTEEN-year-old Ryan Hampson recently made news by calling for a grassroots national referees’ strike.

In three years as a referee in Manchester, he suffered violence, was headbutted three times and spat at on several occasions.

He also complained about little support from footballing authorities.

Last season, referees in the Reading area were ‘unavailable’ for a weekend for the same reasons.

Although Ryan didn’t achieve his national aim, thousands of referees throughout the country did withdraw their services.

Loughborough University research shows that 60% of referees had been verbally abused and 10% physically assaulted.

But don’t let us think this is our problem alone.

Mexican referees went on strike this season and recently Pierluigi Collina, now head of referees at FIFA, warned there will be a global shortage of referees if efforts are not made to tackle abuse and violence towards those at grassroot level.

Referees would like players and clubs who perpetrate abuse and violence against match officials to be banned from football.

The worry for the FA is there is already a serious decline in adult football clubs. There are, however, two areas that they might like to consider.

Firstly, why is it the larger number of football teams at youth level hasn’t led to increased adult players?

Secondly, why is it, when referee courses used to be filled 80% by adults, usually local ex-players wanting to remain in the game, we seldom see any today?

Most are 14 to 16-year-olds who feel there is easy money to be made. Very few, unlike Ryan Hampson, last more than a season or two.

Can it be that young footballers don’t want to graduate into adult football with its aggressive environment?

Can it be that older players have seen what it is like and have no wish to be part of it as referees?

Taking out those who cause abuse and aggression would make the game more enjoyable for players and referees.

Then, perhaps, the game would grow again.