Referee's jaw broken after attack in Irish amateur league - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46180452

It's getting beyond now

No wonder we can't get new Refs

Disgraceful. Hopefully they arrest and lock up the thugs behind this awful attack

Unless the game at the top takes serious steps to stop the abuse of ref's this will carry on.

To be honest I reckon every time a player tells the officials to F*** Off or the like they should be booked and clearly 2nd offence sent off. Hardly anyone gets given a card unless it's excessive abuse. The kids ( and parents ) watch what what happens on TV and think abuse of officials is fair game.

What ever happened to the Respect campaign.

Awful! I reffed my 8 year old's game last week (the dads have to take turns to ref ). The other teams coach was aggressive told me I didn't know what I was doing and argued against almost every decision against his team. Made my blood boil.

I remember Roy Keane and his band of thugs surrounding a referee. That he and his mates got away with it simply encourages the kids who idolize these players to follow the example.

Clearly we have to come down hard on thugs but we should also condemn the gutless people of the FA and Premier League who don't dare challenge the behaviour of the top players and clubs.