You’re not going down too easily, Seasiders
Leading Premier League referee Howard Webb has visited Blackpool to tell their players to dive more often, according to Seasiders defender Ian Evatt.
The Premier League newcomers received the visit as part of an FA initiative to build better relationships between players and match officials.
But the mundane meeting took a surprise twist when Webb encouraged the Blackpool squad to take a tumble if they want a free-kick.
Evatt told The Mirror: “Howard was basically here just to go over some refereeing decisions.
“He showed a bit of honesty and told us where we were going wrong. He spoke to me about why I didn’t get a foul against Manchester City when Carlos Tevez caught me in the build-up to one of their goals.
“He said I was too honest and stayed on my feet. He said if I had gone down it would make the decision easier to give.
“I think that is where we are too naive. Most of us have come through the Championship – a more honest game, so to speak.
“In the Premier League, if you fall over you tend to get decisions. We are not talking about cheating, but sometimes we have to be less naive and go down under a challenge.
“We’re not going to make a meal of it, just show there’s a foul. It makes the ref’s decision easier.”
Just try telling that to Lionel Messi, Howard.
