GRAHAM Kemp is concerned that the Sydenhams Wessex’s ‘name and shame’ policy is painting the league in an exaggeratedly bad light.

In an effort to make Wessex games more family friendly, SWL chairman Bob Purkiss is making an example of clubs who are turning the air blue with bad language from players, management and coaching staff and supporters.

But Christchurch boss Kemp agrees with his Gosport Borough counterpart Alex Pike who said recently that he felt it was wrong for the league “to wash their dirty linen” in public.

Pike, who managed Wessex trio Wimborne, Bournemouth Poppies and Hamworthy United, is a huge fan of the league, but disagrees with naming and shaming.

“Why would we want to highlight it and pretend the Wessex League is the only one with a (swearing) problem because that’s what it looks like,”

he said.

Kemp agreed: “Alex is right. Why single out this league and make it look as if we’re a right old bunch of swearers and worse than anyone else?

“Surely there’s more to worry about in the game than a bit of bad language.

“I don’t see anyone making a beeline to punish people for elbowing someone in the face or breaking someone’s leg.

"I do agree that if swearing is over the top, it's wrong, but the odd swear word is understable in a moment of passion.

"What do they want, 22 robots out on the pitch?

"There's no room for character and emotion any more."

Although Kemp knows his comments will not go down well with the league hierarchy, he defends his right to make them.

“I’m a grown man of 45 who’s been involved with the Wessex League for 20 years and I’ve got a right to express my opinion,” he said.

“If it upsets people, that’s the way it is, but it upsets me that they’re knocking the passion out of the game.”

Kemp comes from a generation when the Wessex League was dominated by gritty, larger than life characters like Pike, Jimmy Sheppard and Taffy Richardson.

But when he looks around at the modern generation, he sees no one with that sort of edge to their personality.

“Maybe people like myself, Pikey and Jimmy Sheppard are becoming extinct,” he said.

“But if there’s no one out there rocking the boat, the game just becomes full of ‘yes men’.

“People like Taffy, Jimmy Sheppard and Wayne Shaw are in their 40s now but if you’re looking for someone with a bit of character, they’re the names that are always brought up.

“You don’t hear anyone mentioned from this generation.

“The days of Shepps, Taffy and Wayne Shaw should be long gone now and there should be new Wessex superstars coming through, but there aren’t any.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to be a 16-year-old now starting out in men’s football because there’s no room for character any more.

“If you’re individualistic with a bit of passion, they just try and knock it out of you.”