The matter was brought to a head last month by the controversial but 100% correct sendings off of Premiership players Ashley Cole and Javier Mascherano by referees Mike Riley and Steve Bennett for dissent.

Mr Taylor said in the wake of the mass media coverage more must be done to ensure players improve their conduct towards match officials. The only surprise is it has taken so long for the message to sink in.

Rugby players, of course, have shown proper respect towards referees for years – even calling them "Sir". It is impossible to imagine footballers even considering doing something similar – their chosen term of endearment would be something completely unsuitable for printing in a column like this.

Eye-bulging players can rant and rave at and question the eyesight and parentage of match officials as much as they want if a decision does not go their way – but the man in charge is not going to change his mind and perhaps if more players were instantly sent off for their lack of respect for officialdom, then attitudes might change and the game become a better spectacle because of it.


SO the National Union of Teachers does not want the Army to carry out recruitment in schools unless it gives a true picture of service life.

In an extraordinary anti-British rant which Mr Pendle thought had died out along with left-wing trade union militancy, this, according to the NUT, must involve telling pupils about the imperialist occupation of other countries and the bombing, shooting and torturing of fellow human beings by British soldiers, not to mention the likelihood of being shot and killed yourself.

Now Mr Pendle always thought that countries such as China, the old Soviet Union and the Nazis in the Second World War were the ones who carried out "imperialist occupations" of other countries, not Britain.

And he is unaware of any British soldiers "torturing" citizens in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else – but maybe the NUT knows better.

But at the end of the day, school leavers in 2008 know what is going on in the world.

They can watch the TV news, they can read newspapers and they can go on courses to help decide for themselves whether Army life is for them, without the NUT trying to persuade them to take a pacifist stance – and are free to walk away if they do not like it.