A new breed of abuse-spewing soccer 'fans' has forced Cheshire's FA to the brink of a crisis - with the men in black turning their back on the game rather than endure barracking from the touchlines. NICK MURTON investigates.

ABUSIVE fans and aggressive players are forcing Cheshire referees to abandon the game they love.

Last year more than 220 refs in the county handed in their whistles - including 40% who had been trained within two years.

A referee in the Chester and District league and veteran of more than 1,000 matches, Keith 'JK' Scott, summed it up.

'To referee at local level you have to enjoy the game... to survive you have to have a sense of humour plus confidence.

'Without doubt the hardest barrier to get through is dealing with the abuse.

'By abuse I don't mean dissent or the loud opinions of others - you will always get someone who disagrees with you and lets you know about it - it's part of the game.

'The problem is some people go beyond a fair point of criticism. It's one thing being told loudly, probably with a few swear words thrown in, that you've made a mistake. It's totally different being told you are a cheat.

'For referees this is the hardest thing to take and without doubt is the main reason why many give up. There is no magic formula for coping with this. It's a test of character and not something easily taught or coached.'

More and more new refs are failing this test. Finding men and women to don the famous black uniform is not a problem, say FA chiefs. Recruitment is running at a record high, they add.

But holding on to refs once they have been lashed with the vicious tongues of the touchline faithful is where the problem lies.

In 2004 around 220 Cheshire refs did not renew their registration at the end of the season. Around 40% had been trained within the past two years.

A questionnaire sent out revealed nearly a quarter of respondents had turned in their whistle because of aggressive players, match officials and fans.

It is a trend some fear could ruin the beautiful game.

Steve Swallow, head of the County FA's football development programme, said: 'The message is simple; No referee, no game.

'The main difficulty we have is retaining these referees.'

There are 1,000 referees in Cheshire - one of the few County FAs in the country where numbers are on the increase - and 72 registered to officiate in Chester and District matches.

Steve added: 'With this number of referees we should be able to cover every game, every weekend.'

But the English FA estimate around 20% of matches each weekend go ahead without a ref.

It is a situation local football chiefs are looking to address through a number of initiatives, including the recruitment of teenagers to referee in Junior League Games.

There are eight referees between the ages of 14 and 16.

Once junior refs reach 16 they become eligible to ref in Chester's senior leagues; the Chester and District League and the Chester Sunday League.

There are currently 11 referees aged 16-19.

However, Dave Powell, secretary of the Chester Referees' Association, said: 'The problem is about half the youngsters pack it in within two seasons. I think it's one thing analysing videos with me, and quite another to try and control 22 players and 20 parents.'

A zero-tolerance campaign is now in effect, with 'three strikes and we're off' guidance issued to younger refs.

Mr Powell added: 'We have told younger refs abandoning the match is a last resort. If the abuse affects their management of the match, and the players, they must ask the manager to have a word with the fan. If it continues they can abandon the match. But they must give at least three verbal warnings first.'

Despite fears of terrace culture at amateur level, only four matches have been abandoned in the last 14 months - once because of a shooting during a match in Christleton, another after a junior ref left the pitch in tears following a Sunday League game.

New refs in Chester are benefiting from a mentoring system where they are guided by a senior official during their initial matches.

Mr Swallow added: 'We don't want new or young refs left to their own devices. We are looking to get the mentoring system into place by the start of next season.'