NEWCASTLE (AFP) - Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan believes Ashley Cole's refusal this week to acknowlege referee Mike Riley after being booked should be a watershed moment in how players treat officials.

Chelsea defender Cole was booked for a wild challenge on Tottenham Hotspur's Alan Hutton during the London clubs' 4-4 Premier League draw on Wednesday.

England left-back Cole subsequently apologised to both Hutton and Riley, after turning his back on the official as he received a yellow card.

Just a day earlier, the Football Association announced a 'Respect Agenda' in response to concerns about the poor behaviour of players at all levels towards referees which many believe is driving officials out of the game.

Former England captain and manager Keegan said: "The referee has got to get on with it and referee the match, and it is the players' job sometimes to help him a bit more because it is not an easy job.

"With the incident in the week, Ashley Cole has come out and apologised - had he not done that, a lot of people would have been very, very disappointed with him.

"But he has been big enough to do that, he has accepted he was wrong and he has said sorry in the only way he can.

"You have to respect that, and maybe that could be seen as a turning point because certainly, nobody likes to see referees being treated with disrespect."

Both rugby union and rugby league have a strict policy of respect for officials, with only the captain allowed to speak to the referee.

In contrast, as happened at White Hart Lane, decisions given by football referees are often accompanied by the sight of several players from the penalised team surrounding the referee in protest.

"The rugby world is where you would like to think it could get in football," Keegan added. "It never has quite got there at the moment.

"That is a challenge for the PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) for the FA and for all the players and all of us in the game - how can we all help because for kids watching that, it is not great."

A few seasons ago, there were attempts by English football authorities to bring in rugby's 10-yard rule where dissent at a decision was punished by a penalty being moved downfield.

But many referees seemed reluctant to apply the rule and it faded away from being a part of English football.

Asked if rugby provided a wway forward for football, Keegan replied: "Possibly. They have fetched in a few things in the past and tried things like that and they have not quite been strict enough with them.

"But maybe that incident will draw a line under it. Maybe they can look at it in the close season and come up with something that stops that happening because it (refereeing) is a tough job."