CREWE FC boss Ian O'Reilly claims that steep fines and long suspensions for amateur players are killing the game at grassroots level.

O'Reilly's team members paid out an incredible £1,400 in fines for yellow and red cards last season. Added to weekly subs, travel costs and time off work, he claims the cost is driving youngsters away from the sport.

The experienced manager readily admits that many of his players must curb moments of over-aggressive play and backchat to referees, but he is calling on football officials to review the size of fines and asking referees to think twice before brandishing cards.

O'Reilly said: 'I know the lads often deserve to be disciplined, but it is becoming simply too costly for many to play the game they love.

'Amateur football can be tough and you do have to stand up for yourself. But referees hand out cards for anything.

'All I want from them is to think twice about what they are doing. A lad, who may have been a little late with a tackle, may have paid £3 subs and £10 to travel to the game. He may have lost cash from leaving work early, and it is £8 a booking.

'That can be more than £20 just for the pleasure of playing. Do that twice in a week and it can seriously affect your bank balance - some of these lads are only on £5 an hour.

'They are killing the game at this level. It is stopping kids from playing football, and preventing people from wanting to run a club.'

He added: 'If a player gets five bookings in this league, it's another fine and a ban, and that includes the Sunday football they play as well. But if one of my midfielders didn't get five bookings in more than 40 games, I would not be happy. You have to compete.'

Staff at the club, which was relegated from Division One last season, are ultimately responsible for fines and rely on the honesty of individual play-ers to pay their own fines.

On top of the £1,400-plus fines for on-the-pitch offences, Crewe FC have had to pay £250 to the Mid Cheshire League for pulling a side out of the Reserves Division after the set deadline, and incurred a £55 fine for not fielding 11 players in a match in the same division last campaign.

It is a problem for the small outfit, which raises funds through players' subs,

sponsored events and selling a handful of programmes.

Mid-Cheshire League play-ers pay £8 per booking and an extra £10 plus a 10-day suspension after amassing five cautions. Fines for sendings off are between £15-£75, with suspensions ranging from one week to 112 days.

Clubs are fined if their play-ers exceed a set number of penalty points. The fines are paid to the Cheshire FA and the levies are set by the FA.

FA spokesman Mark Hooper said: 'There has to be a deterrent to help prevent players from breaking the rules. For most people football is a hobby, and people who play the game have the right to be protected.

'Clubs have a duty to ensure to deal with players who persistently offend, otherwise, of course, they will incur fines and suspensions.'