• Premier League

PFA chief wants diving review panel

ESPN staff
October 10, 2012

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has told ESPN that he wants a review panel to advise the FA on instances of diving within days of every game.

Taylor agrees with FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce's sentiments that diving can be labelled as a "cancer" of the game, and has offered steps to help eradicate it.

The players' union leader has broken his silence as the issue of simulation has once again become a hot topic, and he has called for guilty players to be banned retrospectively.

Taylor is now urging the FA to set up a new panel of experts to review any contentious incidents and start any subsequent disciplinary proceedings quickly.

Taylor told ESPN: "We would like a review panel made up of respected ex-pros and ex-refs to review such instances and advise the FA accordingly within a few days of the game.

"I know how the FA feel about retrospective action but at least the advice would be in place."

Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants players found guilty of diving to serve a three-match ban for what at the moment it is only punishable with a yellow card.

Pulis branded Liverpool striker Luis Suarez's dive against his side on Sunday an "embarrassment", though Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers leapt to his player's defence, claiming he had been unfairly "vilified" when Tottenham's Gareth Bale was also guilty of going to ground too easily.

FIFA vice-president Boyce stated that Suarez's actions were "a form of cheating", while Sir Alex Ferguson has said diving is more prevalent in foreign players, with such public comments have only served to inflame the situation.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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