Brooking wants support from top

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The FA on Wednesday announced their National Game Strategy 2008-2012, which will see a record £200million investment into the grassroots of the sport over the next five years.

"I understand you have to link it in with the top end of the game, but with the work we have done it is really important to get this up and running," said Brooking.

A part of the initiative - which also includes improving the coaching levels as well as the basic skills of youngsters - is the RESPECT campaign, which is aimed at looking to address the poor attitude from players towards referees and also from parents watching on the sidelines.

The 10-week pilot scheme is currently well under way and is being trialled in 20 select leagues around the country. It includes measures such as only the captain being allowed to talk directly to the referee, roped off areas for spectators and encouragement of feedback from players and officials alike.

The major stakeholders at the elite level of the English game - namely the Premier League, the Football League and the FA - are set to discuss the issues raised when they meet next month.

Brooking, the FA's director of football development, feels progress can be made in getting such an approach adopted by the men at the top, who are supposed to be acting as role models.

"Hopefully then the meeting next month, which involves the professional stakeholders, can buy into something themselves - which they launch at the start of the next season - which is meaningful and is supported," he said.

"It would be wrong for me to say that on all my travels, mums, dads, young players and coaches don't draw that comparison [with the professionals] but that is really a poor excuse for whoever is running your local grassroots team to behave as they do.

"We have to set the lead at the grassroots level. Obviously the challenging area is further up when you get all the issues which are at stake at the highest level. Let's see what emerges out of the next few weeks, hopefully there is going to be something positive."