Why are footballers such lying bastards?

Just clicked over to the Scotland Serbia game to see Alan Hutton sliding along the floor into a tackle. The Serbian player appeals for hand-ball and the ref' gives it. Hutton says to the ref (quite clearly, on camera) "It hit me there" and points to his chest.

It will come as no surprise to those who watch football regularly (i.e. most of this board, I think) that the replay shows clearly that he's a lying bastard.

My question is this. I know footballers are generally accepted to be thick as pig shit but I'm thinking that it would occur to even those below average intelligence that if they actually built up a reputation for being a pretty straight kind of guy, that when it comes to decisions that really matter (and this one didn't by the way - Serbia got a free kick five yards from the penalty spot, rather than a corner - no big deal) that the ref' might actually listen to what they have to say.

Now the downside of this is obvious. It means you can't go around flinging yourself on the floor trying to win free kicks and penalties but we've seen many instances of where players build reputations for being cheating diving twats (Suarez and Nani spring immediately to mind) and are then denied penalties and free kicks that should really have been given. I'm thinking that honesty might actually be the best policy for some players.

The scenario I'm thinking of is, say Frank Lampard (I'm using his name as I think he's accepted to be a pretty straight guy, although I may be wrong and I know someone is gong to dig out a clip of him diving in the box now) is penalised for a tackle in the box and gives away a penalty. He protests his innocence as he didn't make contact but Chelsea go a goal down anyway as the ref' is not going to change his mind. As they go for the restart, Frank has a quiet word (not a Rooney like vitriolic tirade of swear words) and says "Ref I honestly didn't make contact - he dived". The ref' believes him and takes the opportunity to give a couple of fifty fifty decisions around the oppositions box as a sort of "leveller" which may or may not even up events - we know that happens all the time.

Now if the ref sees the replay and finds that Fat Frank is lying to him, he puts the word around his colleagues not to believe anything he says. Otherwise. the reffing fraternity continue to view him as straight.

We know it happens in reverse with players being booked just because they have a reputation for being a knob (Balotelli, Robbie Savage, Joey Barton). Maybe the way to counteract the way the game has gone is to reward the straight guys.

Dishonesty is not peculiar to footballers. Remember the Profumo affair,the David Willett’s “dissembling” remark,William Waldegrave speculating as to when he could lie to the House of Commons,and the latest MP’s expenses scandal,not to mention the bankers selling toxic debt to one another,knowing full well the taxpayer would pick up the tab.


One has to ask the question whether there is any integrity left in public life altogether,where are we going as a society when there are very few role models left,particularly for young girls inundated with advertisements propelling them towards an early sexualization or the instant fame and riches of the latest prime time talent show.


We can only restore the balance if we start to support families again,from where the discipline should come originally and then reinforced at school,not the other way round,where there is a move to job share which seems to have been off the agenda since the wages for full-time work fell so appallingly,and where dare I say it footballers should take a wage cut and their sport marginalized,as the latest Celtic supporters sing their racist Famine Song whilst the authorities turn a blind eye and look only as far as their next monthly pay cheque.

Because Celtic fans are notorious for singing the famines over why don't you go home. Have you ever made a post steve that:

a. isn't full of glaring errors
b. isn't an attempt to look clever
c. is on topic for a gambling forum

So Steve, putting aside Pete's questions for the moment (the answers to which are, No, No and No - in that order) you're saying that footballers are lying bastards because the rest of society are lying bastards.

Obviously not true, given the examples of sportsmanship we see in, for example, snooker, cricket and the paralympic thingy that's going on at the moment.

Of course you could say that footballers are more likely to be lying, cheating bastards because football has traditionally been (and still is to a great extent) a working class sport. This explains why there is more sportsmanship (relatively speaking) in rugby than football.

But you can't put that theory forwards Steve because that would be laying the blame on the working man and, unless you can somehow shift the blame from them, to their masters (and I wouldn't put it past you to try - you've come up with more ridiculous theories in your time), it's a view that your philosophy won't allow you to subscribe to.

O

Ok it's the Rangers fans but grow up Pete89.

I think you can say that it's part of a footballers profession to gain any kind of advantage possible for his team, I have little doubt that players are TOLD to surround ref's try and get every decision possible and take issue with any decision against them.
Clubs have files on ref's and what works with them.
It's easily sorted because it's been sorted in the past, Brian Clough did it.

Is that Welsh for "video clip"?

Good idea. They could have a half hour show every Saturday morning dedicated to highlighting divers cheats and liars.

Why does Pete have to grow up?

You didn't answer my questions, although I suppose your eloquence failed you with that post (one must presume that you misplaced your thesaurus) which I must say is both the shortest and least full of shit post I believe I have ever had the pleasure of reading from you . So bravo Steve, perhaps I will get to read your input on some sporting matter soon, or at least your take on some politics betting, because that is after all what we're here for.

It occurs to me that we may get closer to answering the "Why?" by asking "When?"

Isnt this,effectively,what Steve UK said-albeit more succinctly?

I think there are 2 questions really,

1)Why do people in other sports not appear to cheat as much as they do in football?

(To which the most obvious answer,I would suggest,is because its harder to get away with in other sports and there is often less at stake-although thats possibly a value judgement)

2) Are footballers,in fact,any more likely to lie and cheat than:

a) MPs
b) solicitors
c)dentists
d) ordinary members of the public
e) you,yourself
f)salesmen
g)men

Each individual will base their answers on their own experinces/prejudice.

Personally,I agree with slick(and yes,by implication,Steve Uk)

I am surprised that anyone who wasnt born yesterday could think otherwise.

I also think that it cannot be emphasised enough that most peoples behaviour is influenced by the behaviour of those around them.

If you could take some of these sporting players from other sports and trained them to be pro footballers,albeit at a low level,then,Id expect some or most of them to start cheating within a couple of years.