EXTREME pressure, some abuse and massive scrutiny – all in a day's work for a top-flight referee. But what is the situation in Hyndburn for the men in black?

While the likes of Ashley Cole and Javier Mascherano may not be gracing the parks of the area, the job of a referee can still be just as difficult - and this has led to a shortage of men in the middle, especially at grassroots level.

"The vast majority of new referees leave within two years of taking it up," says Cefyn Grafton, a member of the Accrington Referees' Association.

"Most are aged between 14 and 17 and they are the people who are likely to be targeted by managers and spectators.

"They want a Premier League referee doing their Under 14s, but an Under 14s referee is only at the same stage of their development as an eight-year-old player and they need to understand that."

Payment can also be an issue. A referee is paid around £15 for an Under 11s match, rising to £23 for an adult amateur fixture.

Cefyn, who is also a Lancashire FA county training officer, says: "Some people start doing it because it's easier than a paper round.

‘When they get to 17 or 18 years old they go to university or get a real job. Getting £40 for doing a couple of matches on a Saturday morning is not that attractive any more."

He also thinks the actions of Premier League players are reflected in players' behaviour further down the football pyramid which makes a referees job even trickier.

"You see what happens on the television, then a week later you see it taking place on the field.

"When Cristiano Ronaldo was going through his diving phase, you would see teenagers copying it and that makes it harder for the referees."

However, he does feel that local referees' societies help the men in black - especially in Accrington.

"There's a very good society in Accrington. The referees pay their annual subscription of £15 and have someone watching them every Saturday morning – and they are the ones who stay the course. Around half of all active referees in the area are members of the society."

Dean Mohareb is a referees development officer at Lancashire FA. He works alongside ex-Premier League official Eddie Wolstenholme and it is the only county FA with two full-time officers dealing solely with referees.

He says: "Our training programme is the best in the country, no doubt about it. People are looking to Lancashire and bringing in things that we introduced.

"Often people are too negative when they think of refereeing.

"One in 100 referees makes it to the Football League, and it's only one in 1,000 when it comes to players."

Indeed, Accrington has produced at least two top flight referees with David Richardson refereed a League Cup Final and Ivan Smith received a gold medal from the FA for his services to the sport.

Dean says there are 1,500 referees in Lancashire at the moment, but, with around one-fifth being inactive for reasons such as holidays, the number on any given weekend is closer to 1,200.

They are looking to recruit an extra 500 referees over the next four years, including both men and women.

He addeds: "Accrington is very fortunate as it has a good support network for referees. We find that those who come from Accrington are well-prepared and equipped to do the job."

One new scheme being introduced to make a ref’s life easier is the introduction of a so-called "sterile zone" - either a rope or cones to keep parents away from the pitch and officials.

It willl be rolled out across Lancashire in time for next season and should help to reduce the number of abandonments caused by the behaviour of parents.

But Purves Ali, president of Huncoat United and manager of their Under 13s side, is not so sure.

He says: "I don't know whether or not it will work. There has been an increase in abuse from parents watching the games.

"They have tried it out in Wigan, where things are bad, and apparently it has worked."

Purves also scouts for Manchester United and says the parents at those games are much more positive and encouraging.

He adds: "I think we've got to put the onus on the individual clubs."

Anyone wanting information about the Lancashire FA and refereeing can contact 01772 624000.

What do you think? Are referees getting the respect they deserve from local players? Let us know - click 'Submit comments' ...