Gareth Bale doesn't need to dive (Video)

Having just received his fifth booking of the season, this time for diving, Gareth Bale will miss his side’s game against Reading on Tuesday.

The Tottenham winger received a yellow card for going down in the area after a challenge from Craig Gardner, but despite his contentious reputation, it is fair to say that there was contact between Bale and the Sunderland player.  Referee Martin Atkinson’s decision, however, was clearly based on the previous occasions the Wales international has gone to ground too easily.

A similar incident earlier in the match saw Jermain Defoe go down in the box, only for the striker’s fall to be ignored by the referee completely.  There was definitely no foul from a Sunderland player in this instance, yet no action was taken.  Would this have been the case had it been Bale?

Like many players, the most frustrating thing about seeing them dive is the knowledge that there is no reason for them to do it.  In other words, they are good enough to gain an advantage without having to deceive players and referees alike.

Gareth Bale is certainly in this category.  He may have earned himself the wariness of referees, but he has the quality to eventually regain their trust and eradicate such controversy from his game.

Follow @TonyDefc

Comments

[James]

He's been wrongly booked three times this season for diving. In no way has he brought this on himself. The level of refereeing in the Premier League is atrocious.

[JOHN ADAM]

Referees have become biased towards Bale, so much so that even when a genuine foul is committed on him as was the case in the match against Sunderland, he receives a yellow card for simulation rather than be awarded a free kick or a penalty. What has his tumbling or dive got to do with the fouling act on him? Terribly unfair it seems. Referees fail to realise that Bale's pace is so fast that the least obstruction or contact sends him sprawling to the ground and if this appears theatrical, it is his way to protect his face or a serious knock on his body.

[Tony]

Bale doesn't dive but still gets booked it's about time refs start taking a good hard look at themselves. Defenders drag players all over the box at corners and free kicks and they don't have the spine to do anything about it but Bale gets fouled and they book him. Weak refs are ruining the game

[Nick]

"A similar incident earlier in the match saw Jermain Defoe go down in the box, only for the striker’s fall to be ignored by the referee completely. There was definitely no foul from a Sunderland player in this instance, yet no action was taken. Would this have been the case had it been Bale?"

How was that similar. Defoe went down without any contact (not sure that he didn't slip but never mind) so it doesn't equate at all. And the answer to the question what would have happened had it been Bale is slightly moot as Bale doesn't appear to go down without contact unless he's trying to avoid getting a pasting, which Defoe clearly wasn't doing as there was no-one near him.

[OfftheShelf]

Michael Owen when playing for England said 'when I feel contact I will go down' (ala Argentina) and while it was discussed he was never criticised. Why then when Bale feels contact at pace as has happened the last three times is he booked when the contact is enough to bring him down. The Bale critics are all double-dyed two-faced hypocrites.

[ColinSC]

I cannot understand why AVB doesn't take all the GIFs of each of the last three 'dives' to the FA board. All three I have seen clearly show contact and as a result an wrong decision by the ref. If players can have a red card rescinded on video evidence then they should also be able to have bans lifted and yellow cards removed form the players record. This is clearly unjust. Each one of his previous 'diving' bookings was unjustified, if clearly biased (in favour of seemingly all other teams other than Tottenham) commentators show replays and even they show the knock to the knee/ trip etc then state he was clearly fouled, It becomes obvious there is an agenda against Spurs but why make it so obvious.

[Trym]

Gd vid but as its labelled 2012 it should only contain 2012 footage

[JOHN ADAM]

I feel so strongly about the unfairness towards Bale by the referees that I want to put things straight. It is not because he has this unfortunate stigma for 'diving' that each time he goes sprawling to the ground that he is automatically guilty of simulation and gets a yellow card. What the referee should consider is whether he has been fouled or not. If he has, as was clearly the case in the match against Sunderland , regardless of whether he dived or not, he should have been awarded a penalty for the foul committed on him and not be given a yellow card. This is terribly unfair especially if it means being banned for the next game, thereby punishing the whole team. It is true that Bale may have gone down for no reason a couple of times and been yellow-carded, but it is NOT so all the time. For most referees now who have obviously become prejudiced about Bale because of his so called 'bad reputation' amplified by the media, it seems to have become something automatic. The fact that Bale goes tumbling, regardless whether there has been a foul or not, the yellow card is quickly produced. The referee was definitely wrong yesterday in the match against Sunderland. Bale was clearly impeded as he raced towards the Sunderland goal and a penalty should have been given. Referees fail to realise that Bale's pace is such that the least contact or obstruction will inevitably send him tumbling down. How can he remain on his feet in such circumstances? We are asking for the impossible. If he could, he would have certainly preferred to keep his balance and remain on his feet for the sake of continuing with the run and score a goal. Moreover, by falling the way he does in a leaping manner, he thinks he will minimize the impact and escape possible injury. This is his style.
I am really appalled by the inconsistency in refereeing in the EPL. To take an example, Defoe, during the match against Sunderland, went down for no reason and he was not penalised, Why? He isn't Bale. Yet, some time later, Bale went down because of a genuine foul and got a yellow card instead of a penalty. It is high time that the FA Authorities step in and do something about it otherwise they will be ruining the beautiful game of football and even discourage Bale in his promising football career if not destroy an amazing talent.

[Matt]

What a preposterous piece of rubbish - the author admits that Bale was fouled but places the onus on the player to regain referee trust. Kick out the refs who repeatedly change the course of matches with shambolic decisions - don't persecute players like Bale.

It was same ref who gave Chelsea a goal that never was in last year's FAC semi final I believe.