LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - In a week where the Football Association (FA) launched its 'Respect Agenda', designed to ensure better behaviour towards referees, Everton manager David Moyes said it was important the governing body treated clubs and players with similar courtesy.

"It is important that we do all respect referees," said Moyes, speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham.

"But I have said many times that I see many incidents when I do not feel the FA have respect for clubs and the situations that arise."

The Scot added: "Now they seem to want us to stand up and help them, well, it goes both ways.

"Clubs have made decisions (to appeal red cards) and been confronted with being told they are frivolous. Almost being told, 'sorry, we do not respect you so don't bother coming to us and asking'.

"There are many times we have asked for decisions, and me personally, for the referee to maybe turn around and say he has got something wrong and made a mistake. But they won't do that.

"So it seems it is okay to blame the players. We know they want us to give them respect, well they have to give us respect back also."

The issue was thrown into sharp relief by the way in which England full-back Ashley Cole turned his back on referee Mike Riley while being booked during Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Tottenham on Wednesday.

"It seems that Mike Riley was trying to persuade Ashley Cole to turn around and was not reacting," Moyes said.

"In that case you have to praise the referee because he probably saved Cole from getting into a situation that could escalate."

Professional Footballers Association chief executive Gordon Taylor is just one senior figure in the game who has said the sport could learn from both rugby codes where only the captain is allowed to talk to the referee and dissent is punished routinely.

However, Moyes, whose side are battling city rivals Liverpool for a fourth-placed finish which would gaurantee Champions League football next season, said: "We do complain, and you should be able to do that if you don't think things are right.

"There are appropriate ways to react, but this game is passionate. To say that you must take every decision and walk away and accept it, that is not the football I played.

"You do have to contest things. If you think you are right, why should you have to say otherwise and that you are wrong?"