MANCHESTER United and England star Wayne Rooney has apparently been knocked back from helping to train youngsters before an English Schools FA semi-final, as his verbal attacks on referees are considered to make him a bad role model.
Premiership footballers are paid obscene amounts of money while those in the lower leagues aren't too badly paid, either.
Yet week in and week out we see on our television screens players verbally abusing referees and behaving in an often appalling fashion.
And there can be little doubt that what children and young people see, they copy.
And if you need evidence just take a look at football matches taking place around the parks and grounds anywhere in the country.
Adult Sunday league matches are perhaps the worst.
Foul and abusive language is all too evident and those refereeing seem to take little or no action to stop or prevent it.
Often, where pitches are near to homes, residents are forced to suffer a tirade of bad language, threats and insults while a match is taking place.
And in youth football there have been far too many complaints of parents misbehaving on the sidelines as they scream abuse at opposition players.
Rather than encouraging their children to play in a sporting and respectful manner some parents choose to encourage their youngsters to win at all cost.
And if that involves verbally abusing or threatening opposition players, then that's apparently in order.
Something needs to be done, as open spaces and public parks are there for everyone to use.
People walking in or using a park for their own leisure pursuits shouldn't have to listen to the type of language that has become all too common in this day and age just because there happens to be a football pitch within the park's boundaries.
Rugby has a respectful code of conduct towards officials and children are taught right from the outset to honour the referee as well as their opponents.
It's now time football follows that example and professional players clean up their act and behave in a manner which sets an example to those young fans who idolise and copy their every act.
