UNFORTUNATELY I did not read Neil Yates Whistle Blower column last Tuesday, but quite a few people have commented to me about what he had to say about my last column about refereeing attitudes.

Steve Tinniswood gave me a brief insight over the phone. Basically I have no gripe about amateur referees who, in my opinion, turn up Saturday and Sunday and do what they enjoy doing -- refereeing a match to the best of his or her abilities for a pittance of payment, and have poor standards of facilities to contend with.

These men and women are the rock on which the refereeing infrastructure is built upon. My gripe starts as referees get up the ladder.

I have known referees who have done a good job at grass root standards and have been approachable individuals, yet a few seasons down the line they have progressed to a higher standard and their personality has changed beyond recognition.

They have become unapproachable and really there's no need for it. Why change from being a reasonable individual and an approachable one into someone who does not receive any respect from players.

The reasons are simple, the hierarchy who assess these referees frown upon any tolerance or approachability. They expect every rule followed to the letter and a referee to be alienated from the players and just to do the job in hand and not to fraternise. These rules come from the dinosaurs of the FA hierarchy and until that's changed we will always have a player and manager/referee problem. Maybe refs should be given more discretion and not be made a stereotype.