The assault on a referee at a junior match and the abandonment of an amateur match when the referee was threatened — after issuing three red cards to one player — come as participation in minor football has fallen and local associations struggle to recruit referees.

The Evening Telegraph today tried to speak to SFA chief executive David Taylor about the incidents in Dundee and their wider implications for the future of the game.

He and his colleagues are on record as saying the Scotland needs to encourage more people to become involved in football at all levels if the standard of the game north of the Border — and in particular the standard of the national team — is to improve.

Episodes like the incidents at Craigie Park and Caird Park can’t be seen as good advertisements for football or as offering encouragement for people to play football or to become referees.

SFA spokesman Andy Mitchell said today that Mr Taylor was away on business and was not available for an interview.

Mr Mitchell said, however, that he would comment on the issue.

He said first the incidents in Dundee were “regrettable”, but he believed such episodes were as rare in football as they are in other sports and he did not think they threatened the existence of the game.

He continued, “As far as we are aware, these incidents are being dealt with by the respective associations — the Junior Football Association and the Amateur Football Association.

“These associations have good records of taking strong action against players and officials who are found guilty of assault or other forms of violent conduct in the course of games.

“We would expect them to thoroughly investigate these incidents and, if the cases are proved, to take strong action against the people who are at fault.

“Referees are vital to the game and they, as well as prospective referees, need to know the authorities will back them when they are going through difficulties.

“We would expect the local associations to back their referees in the same way that we, the SFA, backed the assistant referee who was confronted by the Hearts player at the recent Hearts-Rangers match.

“Firm action was taken against the Hearts player who was banned.”

Mr Mitchell was unable to comment in detail on the assault on the referee at the junior football match, as he was aware it had now become a police matter.

He went on, “In the Sunday amateur game, it seems that an experienced referee was entirely right to abandon the game if he felt his safety was being threatened, and I’m sure he will be given every support from the referees association in Angus and Perthshire.

He added, “These two cases rest with the junior and amateur football associations, and we have every reason to think these bodies will take the right course of action.”