The FA will decide this week whether Ferguson and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, should face disciplinary charges for comments about referee Martin Atkinson after United's FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth.

Lord Triesman said: "Nobody in a position as powerful and influential as any of the major managers should take that attitude with referees.

"I hugely admire Sir Alex Ferguson. But I hope that he will also consider what is felt around the country when somebody's got to referee a game knowing that everybody believes that if prominent people can disparage referees, they can too."

The 64-year-old Labour peer revealed he had suffered first-hand experience of the lack of respect shown to officials when he was punched while refereeing an amateur game.

He believes the behaviour of high-profile managers is reflected at grass-roots level, where 7,000 referees quit every year.

"Referees are human beings," said Lord Triesman.

"People will always have a view on whether the referee at Hackney Marshes or Old Trafford has made a mistake or not.

"But if people don't want to be referees any longer because they just can't put up with it, you'll end up with no referee and no football."

The issue of respect for officials came to a head this week when Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole turned his back on referee Mike Riley as he was being booked for a foul on Tottenham's Alan Hutton.

Lord Triesman added: "We all need to have a real regard for the degree of respect that is needed to keep referees - even when they make mistakes - in the game."