I find it amazing where people take the moral high ground, by shouting about cheating, when a player goes down after minimal contact.
This so called cheating has been going on for decades, and generally gets
blamed on the influx of Johnny Foreigner.
For those who can remember Jimmy Johnstone and Willie Henderson could go down to their teams advantage when their trickery and mazy runs
were blocked. They benefited due to the fact that there was only one and at
times faulty camera showing the action. Francis Lee was a great exponent of 'going down', as he took most of the penalties it enhanced his scoring ratio. In those days it was gamesmanship. They did though get some brutal treatment, the attempt to half a player in two was a good solid tackle. Never the less it went on. Another one just sprung to mind was Alex Ferguson, he could 'bite the dust' quicker than you could say Sir Alex.
You could go through from then to now picking out players who would have
no compulsion to go down including Larsson and Laudrup. When it goes your way it's good play when it doesn't it is cheating apparently. There will have been few footballers who have reached the very top without 'cheating'. Stealing five yards at a throw in, is that not cheating. Holding an
oponents shirt on the blindside, not cheating? Goalkeeper touching a shot
over the bar then accepting an incorrectly awarded goal kick.
Controling the ball with your hand or arm and either scoring or creating a goal. Gordon Smith wants to 'clean the game up' yeah like you never fell over or fouled an opponent before going onto score.
They are trying to sanitise football, through trial by television, yes there are things that need stamped out like throwing out your elbow in an ariel challenge. High over the top tackles, but players gaining a little advantage through gamesmanship is hardly the worst ill of the game. Corruption in FIFA or a player falling over what is worse. Racial comments on the field or a club (Sion) trying to flout a technicality in the rules. This new initative from the SFA is going to cause more bother than it's worth. How many appeals will there be, as we have seen from Saturday's incident club loyalty and subjective analysis makes it almost impossible to legislate.
Cheating?
posted on 6/12/11
Good article, well said. 5 stars.
posted on 6/12/11
You guys yend to take the moral high ground following incidents involving Rangers. You are correct in what you say but I doubt if you would have bothered if it had been Anthony Stokes who dived at the weekend.
posted on 6/12/11
Sone Aluko
posted on 6/12/11
"but players gaining a little advantage through gamesmanship is hardly the worst ill of the game."
It does my effin box in that players go down at the hint of a nudge. Players go down in anticipation of a nudge. The ref gives the free kick. It's all part of the ballet that football is fast becoming.
Of course players need to be protected. But too many players abuse this protection in order to cheat. And they're in every team.
It's all down to interpretation at the end of the day, but I would like to see football regain its integrity.
Anyone remember Rivaldo's classic at the corner flag?
posted on 6/12/11
Seen that all before,Irvine
posted on 6/12/11
Irvine,
My article was critical of Henderson, Ferguson, Laudrup and Smith four Rangers players. You can add
John McDonald, Kris Boyd, I have even seen Gazza take a dive when he needed to.
At the end I stated club loyalty and subjective analysis would be the killer. I saw both Aluko and Samaras incidents differently from you. Strange eh?
Incidentally Stokes dived to win a penalty against St Johnstone if you recall but then my view and your view would be somewhat clouded.
posted on 6/12/11
Aluko is looking at a two game ban for cheating.
posted on 6/12/11
just logged on to see all this nonsense about diving/cheating...
its a funny old game,
when celtic players are "accused" of cheating/diving, its the same people on here just now giving out the abuse...
bears, if you dish it out, and you all do, then be man enbough to recieve the same flak you give out...
man up ffs!!
posted on 6/12/11
Personally, diving is one of my biggest annoyances.
When it benefits Rangers, then obviously I'm less inclined to complain about it, than had it been the opposition, but I think in this instance it's right enough.
My only real bugbear is that it's only really been picked out now that a Rangers player is the responsible party...this has been going on for years, and there have been dozens of more blatant examples this season which have gone unpunished, so why start the big uproar now?
Other than that, it needs stamped out, but it happens on the continent ten times more than it does here.
Scottish crowds are less inclined to accept diving in any form, as it IS cheating.
There's no point in the SPL making a stance if we go into European ties with the same thing going unpunished...