The head of the referees' union has stepped into the Neil Warnock Chelsea controversy and expressed concern about potential violence towards officials.
Warnock had joked after Cardiff City's contentious loss that his wife Sharon told him: 'Darling, if you had wanted to thump the ref and linesman I wouldn't have stopped you.'
Warnock's comments were clearly tongue in cheek, although he remains angry at referee Craig Pawson's decision-making during the Bluebirds' 2-1 loss.
However, they prompted a reaction from Alan Leighton, national secretary of the Prospect union which referees belong to.
Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan issues statement following Chelsea controversy
He wants violence and abuse towards officials stamped out completely.
Although loathe to comment specifically on Warnock, Mr Leighton did tell The Times : "The issue I have got is we are very concerned about violence and abuse of referees at every level of the game. Any suggestions that violence towards officials is in anyway appropriate is not acceptable.
"It has a potential knock on further down the chain."
Warnock's passion came out in the aftermath of the Bluebirds' defeat with his stare-off with Pawson in the centre-circle. He insisted too many decisions were going against Cardiff in the Premier League.
Warnock then turned his ire on referees' chief Mike Riley and could face FA action for his comments.
Warnock insisted nothing will change until Riley goes, explaining he had refereed 'like a robot'.
He continued: "He had no feelings and he didn't know anything about the game. Like Bill Shankly used to say, 'You know the law but you don't know the game'.
Each of the Cardiff City vs Chelsea decisions assessed by ex-referee and one call was 'correct'
"That's how Mike Riley was and he's training his referees today. They're the same, they're trying to be robots."
