Man in the middle faces becoming hostage to fortune

In football, as in the world about us, the whistle-blower is never too far from the headlines.

From Rob Rogers hitting Cork City and Waterford for six to Michael Oliver feeling the wrath of, first, Gigi Buffon, and then the social media mob, the role of the referee has been under intense scrutiny in recent times.

And then, from right down at the roots of the football tree, comes disturbing news this week from England of a Sunday league referee who feels he has no option but to pack it in after being assaulted by a player for the second time in 10 years.