LAST week, the bad behaviour of a few wealthy Premiership stars was blamed for the abandonment of a Worcester under-14s football match - just a few days after an under-16s match was scrapped for the same reason.

Referee David Hough, who officiated at the game, in St John's, said boys' football was becoming increasingly violent because of the standards set by the country's top players.

As a community newspaper it was, of course, our responsibility to report these incidents and use them to highlight what others involved in county junior football were calling a growing trend.

However, we also felt it was our duty to investigate this trend for ourselves.

And the result?

Of the games witnessed by our undercover reporter, enthusiasm, rather than violence, was the order of the day.

The children were "actually quite well-behaved".

And this, of course, is the reality at the hundred or so junior football matches that are held every weekend during the season.

Yes, there are occasional incidents where things get out of hand - and player discipline is an important lesson for all those that take part to learn.

But as well as highlighting those rare occasions in which junior football makes the headlines for the wrong reasons, let's not forget to praise the vast majority of players - and their parents - who turn out every weekend simply to play the game and enjoy themselves.