In the late Eighties I can remember Jimmy Hill complaining on Match of the Day that referees were inconsistent.

He also felt that players were not sure from one match to another how the laws of the game would be applied.

We had a situation with some referees using the common sense approach and others who would caution and send off in a very black and white approach with no grey areas.

So when the FA Premier League was formed the officials were given strict guidelines to adhere to in an effort to bring referees together on decisions made during matches. Some referees complained that would make robot referees and take away the man management skills that many referees had developed over the years.

With the regular Premier League meetings and seminars held, referees who had transgressed the guidelines set out were asked to explain why they were operating in a different manner to their colleagues and in certain circumstances referees were suspended if they did not enforce mandatory cautions and dismissals.

But clubs began to realise that there was a heavy price to pay for the official's consistent application of the laws. Teams were robbed of players for vital matches in the promotion and relegation stakes, and players served more suspensions in a season with the increase in yellow and red card offences.

The clubs complained about this situation saying they felt that referees were using yellow cards too easily. And this was unfair to the clubs and more to the point if they were relegated the financial implications of losing Premier League status was unthinkable.

So referees this season have been granted the use of common sense as they see fit to use it, as long as mandatory cautions and red card offences were not overlooked. Referees were reminded that not all fouls in a game are yellow card offences and that manmanagement of players could and should be used if it helped to aid their control of the game.

It is hoped the approach will result in the reduction of yellow cards shown during a match and stop clubs being denied the opportunity to contest a game evenly with their opponents.

More importantly it should also help spectators to enjoy matches more. Over the season as a whole clubs will be at full strength more often than not and the entertainment should increase.

But why when we have developed the officials to be operating at a consistent level should they be asked to change? Shouldn't clubs be asked to put their own house in order, and if they don't like the fact that certain players are letting them down on a regular basis, then they should be dealt with in-house.

After all they are the ones contriving the laws of the game.

What is seen on TV of course filters down through all levels of football and with the largest percentage of football being played on parks at the weekend the referee at this level has the hardest job of all.

If the Sunday morning type footballer knows that at the highest level the laws are being enforced consistently it will be easier to apply the laws at non-league and below.

The park referee armed with whistle, book and club linesman is refereeing at the hardest level. With players' knowledge of the laws of the game heavily influenced by Andy Gray's comments on Sky Sports.

If the players see the superstars being shown common-sense and man-management techniques by the officials you can be sure they will be deserving of it no matter the circumstances. The park referee does not need this added complication in his life and Jimmy Hill's cries for consistency from referees seem to have gone out of fashion.

Well, player if you can't do the time, don't commit the crime.