[jambutty]

Originally Posted by cashman

It’s all very well introducing rules but they are waste of time if they are not enforced, rigorously. And right now too many divers get away with their cheating.--- that statement is beyond any doubt.but my suggestion of(come down hard) on managers and players, certainly would not mean fining them,of which fines mean nothing to these overpaid prima-donnas,as for exact form of punishment,i would prefer to let the authorities sort that one,though my favourite personally would be points-deduction.

Players get away with cheating (and many are probably encouraged by their managers) because the match officials do not always see the incident, whereas many spectators and the TV cameras do. In any case spectators and managers (apart from the odd one) have selective eyesight and view an incident with bias so all that leaves is the impartial, see it as it is, TV cameras.

I agree that deduction of points would be an effective deterrent but before the FA can deduct any points they have to prove their case. The only way that the FA can prove the case is with visual evidence and that can only be supplied by TV cameras. The TV camera evidence precedent has already been set with players being punished for violent conduct unseen by the match officials.

The sticking point seems to be WHEN that evidence is viewed. During a match or after? The TV pundits manage to review incidents at half time and after full time so there is no real reason why a bunch of accredited officials couldn’t do the same and even during play. After all we get to see a goal, off side or foul from many different angles during play. The technology is already in place and it could be used to stamp out cheating retrospectively.

In last night’s match, Bolton v Arsenal, the TV showed quite clearly that one penalty should not have been given. Fortunately the spot kick was blazed over the bar so the circle was squared so to speak.