Not sure what they can do though Jiffie - a fine and a short ban perhaps? but Coventry still have the 3 points. Even if it had been spotted and punished at the time it would have only been a yellow card, so a 'retrospective' yellow card? That wouldn't really be a punishment (unless he was already on a yellow - I don't know)
If it was spotted at the time yellow would have beeb sufficient. Once it is charged retrospectively make the ban long enough to punish the player and club, 4 game minimum.
I agree, decisions like this change games, and move momentum in the favour of those cheating. Unless the ban is big enough to deter players from doing this, then it will continue. Gaining 3 points v Fulham is probably worth a 3 game ban to the player and Coventry, it's like a cynical foul when a player is through on goal.
Fair play to the ref on Saturday for spotting the dive by Spazmodic but he still wasn't booked, which doesn't help.
Trouble is simulation goes on all the time, I hate it. All players do it, fall over when just the slightest of touches. Obviously it’s worse when there is no contact, and in the case mentioned three points gained potentially as a direct result. No matter what penalty is given retrospectively the points are now in the bag .
I agree especially about the points. Use a sliding scale 5 games first offence, 10 for a second. Clubs would soon put a stop to it if that happened. It doesn't help with the pundits go to BS of "he was entitled to go down" the criteria should be if the player was running for a bus would similar contact have resulted in the player throwing himself to the ground on concrete. Sort that element of cheating out and then go for the WWE at corners and free kicks, one pundit the other day hypocritically said the complete opposite to "he was entitled to go down" "yes the defender had hold of him but it was not enough to go down like he did". They can't have it both ways.
I got accused of diving in a game once. I was through on goal with only the keeper to beat and he came at me sliding sideways. I chipped the ball over him ready to run onto and jumped over his sliding body - only for him to flick his foot up and clip me whilst I was in mid-air. I fell and landed like the proverbial sack of **** - totally winded. Whilst I laid there gasping for air, the 2 sides argued furiously with each other about whether it should be a penalty or not and the keeper came up to me and said ‘I never touched you, you dived’! Bloody cheek! The ref kept the peace by awarding us a free kick OUTSIDE the box - which we didn’t score from. I did put one past that cheating keeper later though - and we ended up winning by 1 goal, so justice was done in the end!!!
