The ugly side of the beautiful game ...

Each week on a football pitch somewhere in the county in 2003/04 at least one referee was assaulted.

Only last month local footballer Paul Dyke who plays for three teams every weekend, told the Daily Echo how last season was the most violent he'd ever known.

And the facts back up his case.

During the 2003/04 season, 59 referees were assaulted in matches played under the jurisdiction of the county FA.

In 2002/03 the figure was 41 - a rise of a shade under 44 per cent.

In addition, 69 matches were abandoned for indicipline reasons, including assaults on players and officials - 20 higher than in 2002/03, an increase of just over 40 per cent

In addition, almost 200 clubs affiliated to the Hampshire FA have had a manual club suspension imposed on them in the last five years following an assault made by one of their players, though some of those clubs have since disbanded.

Though more matches took place last season - the ever-increasing rise of small-sided leagues ensured that - and even though the Hampshire FA have over 50,000 players registered, those figures are still alarming for everyone with the interests of grass-roots football at heart.

Even though assaults and abandonments were up in 2003/04, the number of red and yellow cards and disrepute cases were all DOWN on 2002/03.

Sendings off dropped from 1,755 to 1,688 and cautions from 12,336 to 11,963.

Though that might appear reason for cheer, one factor believed to be responsible for the drop is that fewer matches in 2003/04 were officiated by qualified referees.

Like many county FAs, Hampshire are still chronically short of match officials and each week scores of games take place without a recognised man in black.

Hampshire chief executive Lawrence Jones told the Daily Echo last October that grass-roots "thugs and louts" wouldn't be tolerated.

And he re-iterated his desire to rid the amateur game of the cancer that is threatening to undermine the good work put in to grass-roots football by thousands of unsung heroes every season.

"We will not tolerate thuggish behaviour whatsoever. We will act swiftly and strongly on offenders," said Jones.

"We have a duty to the players and teams who want to enjoy their football. A small number of louts are in danger of driving away referees. We will not let this happen."

Dyke, meanwhile, reflected: "I have now been playing football for over 16 years at a competitive level, and the older I get the more I become disheartened with a game I so dearly love.

"I have found the game is increasingly becoming filled with what I can only describe as 'thugs'.

"This year my life has been threatened, I have been elbowed and kicked off the ball for no reason other then the fact that the guy is frustrated or his team is losing.

"The trouble is referees seem more concerned about some players just swearing into the sky but when they spot a really bad challenge fail to act accordingly."