No referee in the EPL would have the balls to do this

[CapnBloodbeard]

As referees, we are limited, to a certain extent, to community expectations. If the norm of the game is that a high amount of dissent is tolerated (which it is), then in many leagues / grades you can't go on a one-man crusade against dissent. How the top league referees act is how the aspiring referees will act, which will have flow-on effects onto the rest of us (ie have to act, in some regard, how the rest of the referees act).
So I think it has a huge impact.

 

[Padfoot]

As referees, we are limited, to a certain extent, to community expectations. If the norm of the game is that a high amount of dissent is tolerated (which it is), then in many leagues / grades you can't go on a one-man crusade against dissent. How the top league referees act is how the aspiring referees will act, which will have flow-on effects onto the rest of us (ie have to act, in some regard, how the rest of the referees act).
So I think it has a huge impact.

And thus the 'top' referees are responsible for the expectations of players who believe they can be abusive to officials with little or no sanction.

Because of their unwillingness to deal with it correctly they betray their lower level colleagues week in and week out.

It's spineless, unnecessary and bordering on the corrupt. Deliberately refusing to apply the LOTG correctly in order to maintain their own position.