Kian Northcotefreelance writer |
Cheat to win
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| Cheat to win by Kian Northcote The subject of diving is once again dominating the back-pages, thanks largely to Didier Drogba’s ongoing and often moving portrayal of a ‘startled bison’ brought to its knees by a hunter’s smoking rifle. But isn’t it about time we finally acknowledged that such showmanship is now an essential part of the game? The following scenario is etched into the mind of football supporters across the land. An opposing player – usually foreign – and more often than not representing a team both far superior and considerably richer, decides that class and money just isn’t enough in the pursuit of victory. He takes a bit of a tumble, writhing around in agony – before popping up at the back-post two-minutes later to grab the decisive goal. Every fan has a similar tale to tell: a story of injustice, of evil prevailing over the forces of good. But for the most part stories are exactly what they are. In reality, this kind of cheating is not – despite what you may read in the tabloids – common practice. Acts of gross ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’ which change the course of a game occur no more than a couple of times a season, so when they do, commentators over-dose with a hefty injection of pseudo morality. The art of diving has had a bad press since Franny Lee set chins wagging
with his mid-air escapades for Man City back in the early-Seventies. Thirty-years
on, the game has changed considerably – but in ways that can only
increase the temptation to dive. Players – on the whole –
are more skilful, the game is more technical and more competitive, and
the huge financial implications of success and failure make or break clubs.
Because of this, the pressure on players is enormous and the diving culture
is a direct response. However, rather than Diving is a tactical skill serving many different purposes during a match. For example, reacting to a sight nudge in the back [a’la Drogba] can lead to your team winning a free kick. It can give you a chance to run down the clock or disrupt the opposition’s flow. It can earn your team a well-earned breather or afford the coach the perfect opportunity to make a tactical alteration. In South America and parts of Europe this is an intrinsic part of the game. Whilst we continue to greet supposed acts of cheating with howls of derision, and our press debates, supporters in Italy and Spain can’t see what all the fuss is about. They celebrate subtle guile and neat trickery; to them, gamesmanship is a form of theatre. But in Britain – and Northern Europe in general – the game is based on efficiency and hard-work. We praise our sporting heroes – be they footballers, cricketers, or athletes – for taking a moral stance even if it costs them victory. The problem is that whilst we want a more cosmopolitan game featuring
plenty of foreign players, we still insist Anyway, if we’re totally honest we love the controversy, and football wouldn’t be the same without it. On those rare occasions when a spot of gamesmanship takes centre stage, it gives us something to talk about down the pub, laugh about in the office, and cry about on the terraces. So let celebrate ‘simulation’ with three classic examples:
Diego Simeone’s ‘sniper in the crowd’ reaction to Beckham’s flick of the right-boot helped propel ‘Golden-Balls’ to an unprecedented level of international fame/infamy – assisted in no small part by The Sun’s David Beckham dartboard. Paul Alcock, Who can forget referee Paul Alcock’s impression of a‘ new-born
foal,’ falling on his arse after a half-hearted push by Paolo Di
Canio. ‘I gave him a shove but it was hardly done with force,’
said the mercurial Italian – who was later banned for eleven games.
Alcock threatened to retire, but sadly didn’t. Staggering out of the smoke and covered in blood his actions led to a mass brawl, which in turn led to the game being abandoned. This was what Rojas had planned for, but after video evidence the match was awarded to Brazil and the Chilean was banned for life. In 2001 FIFA lifted the ban, with Rojas stating that whilst ‘I am too old to play again, at least this pardon will cleanse my soul.’ |
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