One of the most high profile Premiership Referees has come out swinging after the FA’s Respect campaign has seemingly failed throughout the course of the early party of this season.

47 year old Steve Bennett has been an English Premier League Referee since 1999, an accredited FIFA Referee from 2001 - 2006 and the first of what may become many Referees to have their say in the press over the treatment received so far this season, both on the field and in the media.

Via DailyMirror

He said: “Away from the pitch, most of us would never fire such offensive verbal abuse at another human being.

“We would never act like ravenous animals smelling blood or remonstrating with frenzied and vulgar gestures. Regrettably, football – the sport acknowledged as the beautiful game – is tarnished when this type of behaviour occurs.”

Bennett added: “Dealing with these situations often brings further conflict, but we can’t afford to turn a blind eye.

“As soon as the popularity of the modern game began to attract large crowds, disputes became commonplace, with officials often made scapegoats.”

Bennett said: “Football is a passionate game and we need to understand and differentiate between frustration and acts of blatant abuse.

image via DailyMail