Captains to take lead role to end dissent

TEAM captains will be given extra responsibility in stamping out dissent on the pitch next season but the new ‘Respect’ initiative launched yesterday stopped short of recommending that only skippers could speak to referees during a game.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore admitted high-profile examples of dissent from the likes of Ashley Cole and Javier Mascherano last season have forced English football’s governing bodies to act to improve respect in the game.

Plans were unveiled in London yesterday to launch the ‘Respect’ campaign — an across-the-board programme dedicated to improving standards of behaviour at all levels of English football and a declaration of war on dissent.