A TOP anti-racism official has praised the Hampshire FA for taking the lead in a move which could change the face of grass-roots football.

The Southampton-based county FA have become the first regional association in England to set up and run a league aimed at increasing the involvement of the ethnic communities in amateur football.

The Late Night five-a-side league is taking place at St Mary's Leisure Centre in the multi-cultural inner-city area which contains Saints' stadium.

The plan is for the league to eventually run itself in a bid to start a production line of players, administrators and even referees from the previously marginalised ethnic communities.

At present, there are NO match officials or administrators from ethnic backgrounds.

And Bob Purkiss, a well-known local figure in the race relations world and the first black referee in Hampshire back in the late 1970s, has revealed that already FA members in Soho Square want to visit Southampton on a fact-finding mission.

But Purkiss, while hailing the Hampshire FA for "jumping the gun", admits racism is still a problem at local league level.

The Wessex League's anti-racism officer already investigating two incidents from his league this season - one of crowd abuse against some Newbury players and the other racist comments directed towards a linesman from people sitting near to Purkiss in the directors' box!

Purkiss, father of Southampton's Commonwealth Games athletics star Melanie, said the new league was vital if a more multi-cultural grass-roots scene was to emerge.

He hit back at the suggestion, though, that setting up a league for ethnic communities would help perpetuate any 'them and us' ttitudes that do exist.

"It's not about creating a separate league, it's about working out how best the ethnic communities can integrate themselves into the local leagues," said Purkiss.

"At the moment they do feel excluded - that's not their fault, it's the rest of society's fault.

"We need to break down the barriers that exist.

"I feel very proud of what the Hampshire FA are doing.

"But we do need to get more administrators and referees from ethnic backgrounds - at the moment you still have committee members with 1970s attitudes.

"If there's still racism going on at Wessex League level, you have to assume it's taking place below that."

Purkiss was speaking ahead of tomorrow's release of a new anti-racism initiative in Hampshire involving Saints and the Hampshire FA plus local councils and the police.

It will result in around 10,000 booklets being sent out to Tyro League and Southampton Sunday League clubs

"People have to understand that they're not going to get away with racism any more," Purkiss added.

With regards to the lack of ethnic officials in grass-roots football, he remarked: "I am disappointed I wasn't the first of many.

"It can be a pretty lonely place - when the man in black IS black you can certainly get a bit more advice from the players!

"I remember when I was refereeing there were times I had two white linesmen with me and managers used to come in and give their team sheets to one of them!

"But 16/17 year-olds, if they aren't good enough to play football, should consider refereeing - all sorts of things can open up to them from that.

"It's all about enabling people to see there is an opportunity for them."