A TEENAGE female football referee is turning her back on the Sunday League - because of the amount of verbal abuse she is receiving.

Emma Nuttall is set to quit refereeing parks football on the Sabbath after growing tired of waking up early to take charge of games that include players she believes are still "drunk" from the night before.

The 19-year-old Southampton-based warehouse operative, who has refereed for six years and officiated on Sunday for the last two, said: "Players moan about not being able to get referees for their games, but when they do, they treat them like rubbish.

"It makes you wonder why you get up at eight o'clock to go to a game and put up with abuse from players for an hour and a half.

"On Sundays, virtually every team gives you jip. Some of the players have probably just got home from a night out a few hours before kick-off and most of those are probably still drunk.

"Some teams take it seriously but a lot don't."

"I have spoken to a couple of referees about it and I think a lot of will pack it in if it continues.

"They may referee until the end of the season and pack in after that. If they do, I don't blame them."

The final straw for Nuttall came on a Sunday towards the end of last month, a week before two officials were physically assaulted in separate games.

She explained: ""One of the teams were losing and one of their players had a shot. The manager wanted a corner but I gave a goalkick.

"The manager started abusing me and asking what the hell was I doing?' "He was having a real go, so I sent him away - and then the players started getting involved.

"In the last couple of minutes, I gave a free-kick against his team on the edge of the box and one of their players who was about 6ft tall put his hand on me and went to push me.

"I didn't expect it and I was quite scared.

"All the other players joined in and started calling me all the names under the sun and carried on giving me abuse after the game.

"It was then I decided I didn't want to do Sundays any more. I did one more game and will now speak to the FA about stopping."

Emma plans to continue refereeing on Saturdays, running the line in the Wessex League and officiating in the Southern Women's County League.

She added: "On Saturdays the games are a better quality and the teams treat you better."

Hampshire FA chief executive Neil Cassar backed up Emma's warning and said everyone connected with grassroots football has a "duty" to ensure their behaviour does not turn officials away.

He said: "Anyone who has played a game without an official knows how difficult it is.

"Incidents like this are isolated and of course unwanted and we will be doing our best to make sure players behaviour improves and we get as many players out on the pitch to enjoy playing.

"Every player, club official and spectator has a duty to uphold the spirit of the game and if we are not careful Emma is quite right, we will lose more officials."