COLIN Calderwood says the growing tendency to criticise referees is wrong, insisting: "We have to respect them".

The Nottingham Forest manager was embroiled in one of the most controversial games of the season, when Stuart Attwell gaffed over some big decisions at Pride Park.

But he was reserved in his complaints about the referee that day – and says he will continue to be for the rest of the season.

And he is throwing his weight behind the Respect campaign launched in the summer.

"If we didn't have referees, we would not have a game. We need them," he said. "We have to try to understand and work with them. There is no way we can do without them. They are the rulers of the game.

"We have to be very careful. The respect is there, to a degree. But some of the criticism over decisions is foolhardy sometimes. The criticism has to be guarded."

He continued: "Managers have to comment on decisions sometimes. There is no way I could not have commented about what happened at Derby.

"But you have to be reasonable, you can't be too hypercritical of what happens. We have been evenhanded through my time with criticism.

"You have to understand the rules as well, which we do. But sometimes the media don't."

Calderwood says it would be wrong to expect match officials to explain their decisions – or their mistakes – in public.

But he is calling for more feedback from the authorities and asks that football clubs be allowed to view the league tables that are compiled from the ratings given to referees by managers and assessors.

"Why should they explain their decisions in public? If they did they would be ridiculed," he said.

"What is needed is feedback from them to the football clubs. That would develop things for us. That would make the relationship better.

"We want a relationship with referees where we can be open and honest with them and they can give their view as well without fearing they will get ridiculed for it.

"Make no mistake, the only one who is right at the end of the day is the referee."