Time to tackle the cheats, says Penney

ATHLETIC manager Dave Penney is backing the use of video technology to help reduce cheating in football.

Eduardo’s dive in Arsenal’s Champions League qualifier against Celtic led to a penalty which he converted and Penney agrees with UEFA banning the player for two matches.

He said: “By starting at the top, they are hoping that everybody else will fall into line and stop doing it.”

As for finding a more immediate solution, the Athletic manager said: “There is talk about having a fifth official but, if he were on the wrong side of the box, he couldn’t see whether it is a penalty or not.

“If that is the case you need to use television, certainly for goalline incidents initially and then to expand it as they have done in Rugby League.

“Maybe football should follow tennis whereby players are allowed to challenge three major decisions each set.”

Penney accepts it is hard to stamp out cheating because everybody wants to win, whether it be in the Premier League or in Sunday-morning amateur football.

But the Athletic boss believes forms of cheating go on in most sports, citing the “bloodgate” scandal which has scarred rugby union in recent weeks.