PUPILS are to be encouraged to take referees' courses at the age of 14 in a bid to smash schoolboy soccer violence, writes NEIL BRAMWELL.

The plan was one of a number of measures proposed by a ground-breaking forum designed to combat increasing levels of intimidation and dissent.

Staged by Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School and attended by guest speakers including players' chief Gordon Taylor, the 'Playing The Game' forum drafted a 15-point plan for Lancashire Schools Football Association under 19 games.

This included a number of measures stressing the need for players to follow a strict code of conduct.

There will also be a drive for qualified referees to officiate in all under 19 games.

Efforts are also to be made to ensure that cautions and dismissals in schoolboy games will mean automatic bans from all Lancashire Football Association games.

And parents are to be roped away from the touchline to passions being transferred to the players.

Forum organiser Dr Mark Butler said: "We have set up a working party to look at how to apply a code of conduct and put something a little more concrete in place.

"The forum created a lot of attention both locally and nationally.

"It has made people think and, while it is not going to break the mould, we have thrown a pebble into the big pond and it has caused a few ripples."

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