THE Government yesterday backed the Times campaign against diving, adding further authority to the demand to eliminate cheating from football. Richard Caborn, the Minister for Sport, said that he was “fully behind” the campaign, which has been applauded by all sections of the national game.
Caborn said: “From Sunday league to Premier League, it is time to kick diving out of the game for good. It gives football and footballers a bad name. It sets a poor example for children.
“There is no better way to kick out the cheats than by creating a climate of intolerance that shames divers out of the game. Let’s relegate diving back to the swimming pool, where it belongs.”
During almost five years as Minister for Sport, Caborn has emphasised the importance of sportsmanship and fair play as the Government has sought to have more people taking exercise and participating in sport. He and Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, have driven through initiatives to continue the revival of sport in schools.
They have been concerned that this revival should be accompanied by good conduct on and off the field of play, worried about the effect that misbehaviour by leading sports stars can have on impressionable youngsters, who will often copy their idols.