Referees need respect

Well done, Kadeem Simmonds, for his comments on Leicester City striker, Jamie Vardy, and for his correct criticism of the England manager`s comments (Morning Star, 27/04/16). What on earth did Hodgson mean when he said that "you take what a player brings"? That as long as they can score a few and put in a "decent shift", they can play for their country? Behaviour and attitude clearly don`t matter; racists and rapists, referee abusers and wife beaters are all welcome!

      Of course they are not,any more than tax avoiders, and who better than the England manager to make that very point, rather than supporting a player whose foul-mouthed, verbal abuse of a referee has spoiled a successful season? No referee should be spoken to in that way; it`s bad enough when referees have their split-second decisions repeatedly questioned by so-called "experts" on television, who often cannot agree, even after slow-motion replays from numerous angles, but it`s more disappointing when club and national managers fail to criticise players for their gross misconduct.

Apparently, the referee in question, Jon Moss, according to most reports of the match, "endured a difficult afternoon", but is it any wonder? Thousands of referees do, all over the country, every week? They need to be supported, as without them, the game is unworkable. If this is something that rugby players can accept on a worldwide basis, it should not be beyond the realms of possibility to drum it into footballers` and managers` heads. A start can be made by reporters ending their shilly-shallying, and following the example set by the Star`s Kadeem Simmonds!