The recent issue of diving has raised its ugly head again, with the high profile case of Robben falling theatrically to the floor as he had been shot when Reina, wrongly, raised his hand to him. It got me to thinking that modern players do seem to dive more and more often and surely the time has come for the authorities to start looking at punishment for offenders. How did this situation come about? Many people blame it on the influx of foreign players into the English game, and that it is not an English problem. This is correct to a certain extent, whilst it will always be the foreigners who get highlighted as serial divers, we cannot dismiss the fact that many British players also take a tumble in order to get a player sent off. Robbie Savage and Joe Cole are just two examples of British players diving.

Overall the last weekend of Premiership games, there was more example of diving. The most blatant was the dive by Reyes against Bolton in order to win a penalty. Reyes seems to be the type of player who does get targeted by the opposition but he does not do himself any favours by going down so theatrically.

Of course it is not just Reyes who dives; each club has their players who have developed a reputation for taking a tumble. I am sure everyone can remember the laughable actions of Rivaldo in the 2002 World Cup when he fell to the ground as he had been shot. The cause of this collapse was the football bounced off his foot when Turkish player, Hakan Unsal passed it to him in order for a corner to be taken. At Spurs (just to show I am not bias and can criticise my own club) we have had some of the best divers in the game. J