Having recently been sidelined through old age -- sorry injury, I have been able to take in a few games on the local parks.

I've seen a few good young players, some excellent goals and often been entertained.

My overriding memory sadly is the vastly increased amount of unnecessary aggression shown by many players.

Don't get me wrong. I fully understand the impulsive retaliation if the full back has just raked his rusty 1984 studs down your inner thigh. I even sympathise with you thumping him although I'll still send you off for it!

What I can't comprehend is the desire to fight with an opponent after every challenge. Often this appears to stem from an argument along the grounds of "My dad's bigger than your dad." Even more amazing is the fact that most of these hotheads are the very players who won't commit to a full-blooded challenge for fear of chipping their nail varnish.

I've even seen a fouled player allowed a brilliant advantage by the ref, who decided to forsake a "one on one" with the keeper to swing his handbag at the original offender. You couldn't make it up.

Indiscipline is serious. By mid-season half your players are suspended -- that makes sense doesn't it? It costs you money that you haven't got. It suppresses the development of talent. Who wants to play for a team that annually gets into various scrapes. It prevents the recruitment and retention of referees. (This month another local ref is assaulted with apparently no witnesses).

Players, if you prefer to fight find a sport that befits your brainless personae.

Managers, are you that desperate for numbers that you regularly pick a thug knowing he's a ticking time bomb? League committees, are you really doing all you can to punish perennially offending teams? I know some are and these will prosper long after the others have folded.

This problem will kill local soccer if we all bury our heads in the and. Is anybody out there listening?