The President of the Tyro League believes it is club staff and parents on the touch-lines who need curb the abuse aimed at match officials rather than the players.

Brian Butler, who as well as being the league's President has also refereed in the Tyro league for 40 years, is confident that player indisciple isn't a big problem in his league.

"Most of the discipline in the Tyro League is okay," he said.

"The kids are no problem at all.

"I have refereed in this league for 40 years and have never sent a kid off for swearing at me.

"We get problems when there are club people aiming abuse at referees."

Butler added: "You always get one or two individual parents in any league causing problems, but if you consider the amount of games we have every season, it is normally when referees are not there and a club official has to referee the match where there can be problems with parents."

The Tyro League was formed in 1967 with just a handful of teams. But its growth was rapid, to the point where in the late 1970s and 1980s it was the largest boy's football league in Britain, catering for players from under-11 to under-15 level.

As the league has grown, now boasting almost 3,500 players playing every Sunday from September through to April, as has the number of officials.

There are now between 60 and 80 officials who referee in the 28 Tyro divisions ranging from 14 to 72 years of age.

And measures are in place to ensure that those officials are able to do their jobs to the best of their ability, which Butler feels they currently are.

Butler explained: "We hold a meeting every month when I go around and talk to the managers in three separate groups - the under 11's, under 12 and 13's and under 14 and 15's - on refereeing matters.

"Most leagues don't have such a facility and it means that if there is an issue about the referees it can get dealt with at one of the meetings.

"As far as the clubs are concerned, we just ask them and their parents to behave themselves and treat referees with respect.

"If the manager can't control the parents, then we will control them."

Is Brian Butler right? Have your say on this subject by emailing echosport@soton-echo.co.uk