UPPER PROVIDENCE, Pa. -- Reports of drunken sports fans may be common, but rarely are there allegations of drunken referees.

For parents, the situation was disturbing because children were involved and at a tournament meant to raise money to maintain their soccer field, NBC 10's Lynn Berry reported.

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"We teach these kids to have respect for the referees," said parent Andrew Brenner.

It's a lesson Brenner teaches his own 8- and 10-year-olds when playing youth soccer. What he didn't realize was a referee would be the problem at the Nether Providence Soccer Club's tournament at Springton Lake Middle School last Saturday.

Upper Providence police said William Delany, of Chester Springs, was not only screaming profanities at the 14-year-old boys playing but also at their parents.

Brenner described the words as "profanities," adding, "I mean, I'm not going to say what words they were, but they were four-letter words."

Upper Providence police Officer Greg Woodrow said, "We approached him and, you know, we said, 'We've been getting complaints. The management asked that you be removed from the field,' at which point in time he did not agree with it. He did not want to come off the field."

The officer said that was when he realized there was more to the story.

"As I was speaking to him, I noticed that he had alcohol on his breath, and I asked him, 'Have you been drinking?' He said, 'Well, maybe last night.' I said, 'Well, it's 3 o'clock in the afternoon. ... This isn't going to do,'" Woodrow said.

"I witnessed him waving off the police, waving off individuals as they were trying to approach him and handcuff him," Brenner said.

Brenner, who coaches and sits on the board for the club, said this was the first incident for them during the nine years they have held the tournament -- which raises money to maintain their fields -- or with a referee certified by the state.

"At the end of the day, it's about the kids. And to have an adult be selfish enough to put themselves before the kids is really what the net of it is. Certainly we won't tolerate it," Brenner said.

Delany was cited at the scene for disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, police said. He was release to a female friend at the scene.

NBC 10 has not been able to reach Delany for a comment but was told he wrote the soccer club a letter of apology for his actions.