It's a potential minefield and any "official" overall reaction needs to be managed with care.

A couple of cases have been micro-managed.

A Carlton fan was warned after abusing an umpire. The media has virtually universally described the rant in one way - that the official was called a "bald-headed flog".

Investigate it a bit further and it seems there could have been some other more inappropriate words added.

But the official response rested more on the suggestion that the fan had moved in an intimidatory manner towards the umpire - resulting in no more penalty beyond the warning.

The basis of much of the commentary is that the use of such words in respect of an umpire is all fine and good - it's always been that way and so it should remain.

That may be all well and good for the elite level and accepted accordingly by those who are well-trained and paid reasonably to umpire the game.

But if that is the norm it's hardly conducive to finding more umpires at local level - where the shortage each week across the nation is significant - especially with the growth of the women's game demanding even more.

Interestingly the top umpires say exactly that - they have been conditioned to put up with it but when they talk to their colleagues at club level the concerns are palpable.

In a second case a Collingwood supporter was spoken to during last Monday's game by police and security for what appears to be overly loud use of football banter during play.

It's prompted his club's most famed supporter Joffa Corfe to take a vow of silence during games until the matter is sorted - in his view meaning an apology to fans from the AFL.

This incident may have arisen from complaints by others present who are now encouraged by signage and announcements at games to report any anti-social conduct via their mobile phone.

With the plethora of material that is undoubtedly available at many matches, it's obviously a temptation for some that cannot be avoided.

Now for a mea culpa.

Soon after Docklands Stadium began hosting matches, I went along to see what the grand new venue was all about. During that visit I expressed my displeasure at an umpire's decision with a mild profanity - perhaps involving the excrement of a male farm animal.

A woman sitting in front of me with her young son, turned around and gave me a most devastating - but totally justifiable glare.

I have no idea who this fine lady was but our only ever interaction has been life-changing for me.

In that instant it was driven home that not only was my intervention disrupting their enjoyment but also an over-the-top reaction to my disagreement with the umpire's call.

In my case I reckoned it was even more so because of my own status as an elite official in another sport. The problem is that like the AFL umpires I had become conditioned to and accepting of the abuse during my own officiating career.

Like most AFL umpires say they do, I still let much of it go through to the keeper. But I know of more instances where club, state and national level athletics officials are simply deciding not to turn up any more because they are sick of it.

But raucous barracking has been a hallmark of Australian sport since it began. It would be a grave injustice if the wag with the witty quip was driven to silence or the passion for one's tribe was so throttled that the atmosphere at venues disappeared.

What's most important is that the fans don't get misled in the first place.

Those in leadership and those who influence crowd reaction have the most critical of roles to play.

At the head of the list are those who report the game on radio, television and elsewhere in the media.

The administrators are probably only third in line - and perhaps their biggest call is how they respond to the impact of those in the other two groups.