Paul Jewell has aired his views on the subject of diving, with the Wigan chief admitting he would legalise it.
Sky
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo incurred the wrath of Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate last week after tumbling under minimal contact to win a penalty at The Riverside, while Wigan striker Emile Heskey came under scrutiny against Liverpool at the weekend.
Jewell is no fan of players tumbling to the ground at every given opportunity, but believes the best way to eradicate it from the game would be to legalise diving.
"I may be the only person in the world who believes this, but why don't we allow it?" he said in an interview on Sky Sports News.
"The pubs open 24 hours a day and everybody was worried people would be drunk on the streets, well there are less drunks on the streets now than when they used to close at three o'clock.
"So we just allow it and stop everyone talking about it. One week you get away with it, the next week you wouldn't. So stop it in my opinion.
"People say it is cheating, but you ask any supporter and if one of our players goes down in the box and we need a penalty to stay in the league or win a cup. Do you know what they are going to say? It will be the same as Man United fans, Liverpool fans, Chelsea fans and chairman: Go down.
"At the end of the day I might get lambasted for that, but that's the way it is.
"We are all trying to get an edge. When the ball goes out of play and it is obviously a corner, defenders always say it is their ball. It is a just creating an edge.
"I hate diving, but if it is in the game and if you allow it it will go away on its own and people will stop talking about it."
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Sky
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo incurred the wrath of Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate last week after tumbling under minimal contact to win a penalty at The Riverside, while Wigan striker Emile Heskey came under scrutiny against Liverpool at the weekend.
Jewell is no fan of players tumbling to the ground at every given opportunity, but believes the best way to eradicate it from the game would be to legalise diving.
"I may be the only person in the world who believes this, but why don't we allow it?" he said in an interview on Sky Sports News.
"The pubs open 24 hours a day and everybody was worried people would be drunk on the streets, well there are less drunks on the streets now than when they used to close at three o'clock.
"So we just allow it and stop everyone talking about it. One week you get away with it, the next week you wouldn't. So stop it in my opinion.
"People say it is cheating, but you ask any supporter and if one of our players goes down in the box and we need a penalty to stay in the league or win a cup. Do you know what they are going to say? It will be the same as Man United fans, Liverpool fans, Chelsea fans and chairman: Go down.
"At the end of the day I might get lambasted for that, but that's the way it is.
"We are all trying to get an edge. When the ball goes out of play and it is obviously a corner, defenders always say it is their ball. It is a just creating an edge.
"I hate diving, but if it is in the game and if you allow it it will go away on its own and people will stop talking about it."
What do you make of this...
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