Diving

[marcusto]

Just wanted to know every ones opinion on it.....

Last night saw StevieG go down like he been shot by sniper... but we heard commentators say how its wasn't a dive e.t.c
But if was done to us their would be a national outcry by the media!

Ian Wright, who I hate most of time except when it comes down to England, had a very good point everyone does it to us, then why can't we do it back....

What annoys me is the commentators and managers a like turn a blind eye to their team diving e.t.c, but when it comes to their Opposition diving they jump up and down and cry about it....

i saw a certain Eboue dive in the CL Final to win a freekick which A**e*al scored from... yet the Media/Fans cried out Marquez and Puyol give Henry a bit of a kicking. In all fairness to Wenger he condoned the actions of Eboue, yet this had know media coverage, except for the People newspaper!

Why can't people except its part of the game now and everyone does it!

[Welsh Spur]

Coz Terry Butcher, Gerrard's main critic last night, is a hard bastard who used to play for england and these old legends feel the need to speak out as it was no part of their game.....

[DonJolSpurano]

why should they and we accept diving? it isnt a part of the game and all forms of it should be stamped out.

it has no place in the game and i was appalled to see gerrard do it last night.

it doesnt matter if other teams do it against us. we are better than that. ppl like alan green, butcher, hansen etc all criticised gerrard last night for it and rightly so.

we've been at the wrong end of cheating before with england and a certain 'hand' and it hurts, its wrong and does no good in the end...karma has its way, just look what happened to little diego in USA '94 HAHAHA!!!

(incidentally, maradona was also offside)

cheating may have short term gains if its successful but its not how the game should be played and is sadly indicative of todays society...it stinks!!!

shame on you Mr Gerrard, you dull bastard!

[marcusto]

I doubt highly it can be stamped out when certain parts of the media, fans and managers turn a blind eye to their team diving. Yet manage to shout and scream about other teams doing it to them

For Example Jose Mourihnio with Drogba, Robben Essien incidents... Yet look @ When Messi was clattered and made the most of it against em... Everyone was up in arms!

Not for one minute am I condoning it... but surely to stamp it out everyone has to look at it objectivly and rationely. Then not just go its the Seria A's fault or La Liga's fault or its cause foreign players do it

[shoot_ffs]

the governing body should dish out 5 game bans for anyone seen winning an advantage by cheating and diving. Will stop it quick time.

[laspur]

Unfortunately, it seems to be part of the game these days. I hate it as much as the next person, but it will only get worse unless this so called simulation rule is enforced. Then you will have the dillema of when to enforce the rule: International play or all play across the globe, which I can't see the South American managers and players agreeing to something like this. Italy for decades have perfected this so called art in their eyes and will never quit doing these dirty tricks. Football in general, there is always some form of cheating going on. How much more different is it when a legitimate foul is called and the players circle the ref, in protest. Everyone is momentarily blind when it's against thier beloved team. That is human nature, now let's see who will win this years oscar for best dive this summer.

[highlander]

Stevie was wrong to dive if thats what he did, although the challenge missed him i thought the defender may have caught his trailing heel but did anyone hear how Ian Wright was saying that Gerrard did nothing wrong, cheating bastard ( Wrighty that is)

[RuFuS]

I don't like divers either but there are times when a player has to take evasive measures in order not to get hurt and Gerrards dive was one of them.

As the player comes in it's a two footed tackle which Gerrard has to make sure that he does not get touched as these tackles are career threatening.

The ref has no choice other than to award a free kick/penalty even if no contact has been made. Otherwise it sends the wrong message to players that they can slide two footed everytime in order to intimidate the man with the ball.

The ref only booked the player as no contact had been made. Had he of caught Gerrard he would have walked and we'd have another player in plaster.

You only have to look at the reaction of the Hungary players. Not one complained about the dive, the penalty or the caution. They knew.

[mjbmedia]

very good post Rufus ,
i just hope we are SERIOUSLY gonna practice our penalties, every member of the squad should be doing 10 a session and for every one they miss they should have a lap of the pitch as punishment as they cant really re create the real drama but they have to suffer for missing.

[Welsh Spur]

I don't like divers either but there are times when a player has to take evasive measures in order not to get hurt and Gerrards dive was one of them.

As the player comes in it's a two footed tackle which Gerrard has to make sure that he does not get touched as these tackles are career threatening.

The ref has no choice other than to award a free kick/penalty even if no contact has been made. Otherwise it sends the wrong message to players that they can slide two footed everytime in order to intimidate the man with the ball.

The ref only booked the player as no contact had been made. Had he of caught Gerrard he would have walked and we'd have another player in plaster.

You only have to look at the reaction of the Hungary players. Not one complained about the dive, the penalty or the caution. They knew.

Brilliantly put, that's exactly right. I do not like cheaters but I also (for once) agree with Wrighty, I'm sick of watching other teams benefit against us by doing it, it's always condemned, but it just doesn't stop....as much as it's preached about it still goes on and it's about time we stopped pissin about and got nasty. Nice guys finish last.....

[spurs61]

I don't like divers either but there are times when a player has to take evasive measures in order not to get hurt and Gerrards dive was one of them.

As the player comes in it's a two footed tackle which Gerrard has to make sure that he does not get touched as these tackles are career threatening.

The ref has no choice other than to award a free kick/penalty even if no contact has been made. Otherwise it sends the wrong message to players that they can slide two footed everytime in order to intimidate the man with the ball.

The ref only booked the player as no contact had been made. Had he of caught Gerrard he would have walked and we'd have another player in plaster.

You only have to look at the reaction of the Hungary players. Not one complained about the dive, the penalty or the caution. They knew.

Great post and well made point. Referees have been instucted to look for "intent". When a player has no option but to hurdle a tackle or evade physical contact whilst in control of the football it is a foul, regardless of when or if contact is actually made. But then we can't expect referees to apply the rules of the game properly when they can't grasp the offside law or indeed handball.

[JJ]

Diving is cheating. Everyone who dives should have action taken against them, with no exceptions.

I understand the need to evade a challenge, but Gerrard wasn't jumping away from the challenge, he left his feet in and went down playing for it.

[SurreySpur]

the governing body should dish out 5 game bans for anyone seen winning an advantage by cheating and diving. Will stop it quick time.

Yeah i totally agree, a five game ban for the player and a 50k fine for the team for failing to control they're players. Arsenal will be bankrupt within 6months!! hahaha

[Welsh Spur]

Unless rules are brought in to properly combat the problem, it's never going to disappear. What people dont realise is that the majority of 'simulated fouls' or 'dives' we don't even notice....it's only when it's picked up on anyone says anything. Unless some measure such as the game-banning or fining of players is introduced we really have no choice but to accept it, and that the people who govern the game we love are a bunch of cowardly, inadequate idiots.

[spurs61]

Unless rules are brought in to properly combat the problem, it's never going to disappear. What people dont realise is that the majority of 'simulated fouls' or 'dives' we don't even notice....it's only when it's picked up on anyone says anything. Unless some measure such as the game-banning or fining of players is introduced we really have no choice but to accept it, and that the people who govern the game we love are a bunch of cowardly, inadequate idiots.

Pretty much the definitive post for this subject, although the Times have gone some way to prove that we CAN do something about it as long as we unite as fans in a global campaign against the deviants and lawmakers who blemish our beloved sport. I'm too busy, anyone want to take on the mantle?;)

[spurs61]

Diving is cheating. Everyone who dives should have action taken against them, with no exceptions.

I understand the need to evade a challenge, but Gerrard wasn't jumping away from the challenge, he left his feet in and went down playing for it.

Oh yeah, the only "intent" in that incident was Gerrard's intent to win a penalty.

[RuFuS]

But then we can't expect referees to apply the rules of the game properly when they can't grasp the offside law.

To be fair i think the refs have been sold a plum about offside but i also think it's easy to sort out.

The Linesman should flag everytime there's an off side player,regardless. That way everyone knows where they stand. The Ref then makes the decision as to the player/s interfereing with play or seeking to gain an advantage(which in effect is one and the same).

There's one thing that i do want FIFA/FA who ever to sort out and that's the amount of time spent celebrating goals. It's got beyond a joke. A team scores and the scorer runs to the furthest part of the ground and invites everyone bar his keeper to join him. All well and good,it's about scoring goals, i dont have a problem with that but it takes a good 2 minites to restart the game so if the score is 3-2 at half time at least 5 minites should be added not the customary 1 that is normally put up.
Think about it 0-0 @ half time but in the 89th minite Spurs are 3-2 down the 4th idiot puts his board up and on average the best you can hope for is 3 mins because of the subs that go on in the latter stages of the game. What if that were 8 mins because of the goal time allowance and subs. You'd think that you could get an equaliser with 8 mins. True the oppo's could get a 4th but it would at least we'd get to see somwhere near a full game.

[JJ]

Diving is just one aspect of the modern game that needs removing. There's lots of stuff that should be punished that aren't. Players rolling around on the floor as if they're injured to kill time and stop other teams from progressing (Ahem.. Eboue), shirt pulling, defenders pretty much holding the opposition at corners. All these little things that players use to their advantage instead of just playing the game it's meant to be played.

I despise it, too many people are bent on winning so much so that they've forgotten that the point of the game is to play better football than the opposition, not con decisions out of the officials to get your way.

[spurs61]

I think the main problem is that the sport has become too result orientated, the emphasis is now on winning games and making as much money as possible. It used to be the case that many Spurs fans would rather see the team lose 4-3 in a brilliant, flowing and entertaining than grind out a boring 1-0 victory, how many of you guys would agree with that?

I pay my £900+ every season to be entertained and enjoy my afternoon, not to watch 22 grown men argue and cheat their way to a bitter-tasting victory, I believe that if we all had this attitude (players included) the issue of diving, shirt pulling etc would become reviled by sport and eventually iradicated. Sadly there is no chance of this ever happening, particularly whilst Sky maintain their dubious monopoly over football in this country.

[Chinaman]

another major cleanup is necessary if footie is to regain its attractiveness as a spectator sport. Too much shirt tucking and holding is allowed during corners and other dead ball situations. I'd like to see refs going back to basics and blow for penalties when defenders hold back their opponents or grab their shirts. This would give strikers back their chances of scoring goals.

[JJ]

I think the main problem is that the sport has become too result orientated, the emphasis is now on winning games and making as much money as possible. It used to be the case that many Spurs fans would rather see the team lose 4-3 in a brilliant, flowing and entertaining than grind out a boring 1-0 victory, how many of you guys would agree with that?

I pay my £900+ every season to be entertained and enjoy my afternoon, not to watch 22 grown men argue and cheat their way to a bitter-tasting victory, I believe that if we all had this attitude (players included) the issue of diving, shirt pulling etc would become reviled by sport and eventually iradicated. Sadly there is no chance of this ever happening, particularly whilst Sky maintain their dubious monopoly over football in this country.

Indeed. Football is a business now and teams need to win to make that money for all the suits in the background. It's not about the game at all anymore.

But yes, i'd rather watch us play well and lose than play badly and win without a doubt.

[Spur]

It's absolutely dispicable. Anyone seen dying should be banned for a long long time.

Sorry did I say dying, it's just thats how it looks to me.

Shame/funny that illegally bought Eboue and Gerrard both had to dive to gain an advantage in the biggest competition's final in consecutive years and yet not one was said about either...

[marcusto]

The Eboue completly f**k*d me off British Media and certain fans failed to regonize the dive and some even defended it, but when it came other European clubs diving everyone has a good old moan groan and say its crime of the centuary.... Surely the Diving will not be stopped until Media, Fans, Officials and Clubs actually look at it from a non biased stand point....

For example Jose M slating Barca, yet says sh*t about Drogba, Essien and Robben....

[Chinaman]

The flood of Latin European and Afro-French have diluted the integrity of the British game.

[SurreySpur]

The scum are to blame..............For everything!!

At least Pires has gone and hopefully reyes will follow him soon, they're a team with absolutley no good sportsmanship running through their tri-colour veins.

[Welsh Spur]

Is it just me or has Reyes had a talent transplant? During the season the scum somehow managed to go unbeaten, he looked a world-beater. Since then he has been anonymous and doesn't seem to do anything for them, yet still get picked.