Dyche calls for retrospective bans to eradicate diving

Burnley manager Sean Dyche is fed up with diving in football and is confident the issue could be wiped out from the game within six months if retrospective bans were introduced.

Diving reared its ugly head again in Saturday’s 3-3 Premier League draw between Hull City and Crystal Palace, when Robert Snodgrass earned a controversial penalty.

Snodgrass went to ground with Scott Dann in close attention and the Scotland international stepped up to convert the subsequent spot-kick before later apologising, admitting it was “never a penalty”.

Dyche believes he knows how to banish the theatrics from the sport.

“It’s got to a level now that it’s that theatrical that I’m surprised people don’t just start laughing,” he said.

“It’s gone too far. It’s ridiculous. There are fans out there who must be tired of seeing it and I’m tired of how it’s crept into our game to become accepted.

“I just can’t see it from a moral point of view, from a brand point of view, from the culture of the game and for the health of the game.

“Introduce retrospective bans and it will be gone. Certain teams would have three or four players done immediately, from a warning in private to the manager, up to a three-game ban.

“It’s simple to officiate. You have a panel of experts and give out bans.

“Within six months the panel would be defunct because people wouldn’t be doing it anymore.

“I’m stunned it’s not been introduced.”