Angry bosses target Hackett

Referees' chief Keith Hackett will be urged to quit by the League Managers' Association if he does not meet their demands at a gathering next week, it is claimed.

The bosses want a representative on the board of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited because they have lost confidence in Hackett's leadership.

By having a former manager on the officials' body the LMA believe they can influence key refereeing issues and if they do not get their way then they will call for Hackett and his chairman Peter Heard to resign.

Managers raised their concerns at their meeting at Coventry's Ricoh Stadium yesterday and it came in the wake of the Football Association calling for talks with bosses to try to get their 'Respect' campaign back on track.

The FA are unhappy by the latest outbursts against referees which have seen Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson charged with improper conduct last week for remonstrating with match official Mike Dean, while Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear is likely to face similar action after labelling Martin Atkinson "a Mickey Mouse referee" on Sunday.

FA director of governance Jonathan Hall said: "The FA will seek to meet with the LMA and individual managers regarding the Respect programme as soon as possible and offer them a further opportunity to raise any concerns. The LMA were fully involved in pre-season consultation and we welcome their continued support for the programme."