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Why Isn't Bale Being Dragged Across The Coals?

During the opening stages of the North London Derby today, it seemed as though things were going to go from bad to worse for Arsenal Football Club.

Spurs scored a quite flukey goal following some unsightly defending from the Gunners as early as the fourth minute. From then on it felt like our already horrible season was about to take at turn for the worse.

It didn`t take long until that materialised.

The sight of former Gooner and much despised figure in football, Adebayor, slotted home a penalty kick in front of the North Bank made stomachs churn even further. However it was the manner in which the penalty was won that was the kick in the teeth.

Before we get started let me just remind the visitors to Vital Arsenal of the articles I`ve published in the past condemning the actions of Robert Pires, Robin van Persie and more recently, Eduardo, as they`ve all taken tumbles in order to win penalties under Arsene Wenger`s tenure. So after vilifying players of my own team, I`m well within my rights to call Gareth Bale a cheat.

The manner in which he flung himself to the ground today was disgraceful. And this certainly isn`t Bale`s first infraction. Indeed, there is only one player in the Premier League to have been yellow carded for simulation on more than one occasion this season, and from the tone of this article I`d guess you don`t need me to point in any directions for you to realise which player that is.

Needless to say that tally should have been increased to 3 today.

The thing that doesn`t sit well with me however is the treatment players like Pires and Eduardo have received in the past compared to the likes of Bale.

Indeed Bobby is still hounded to this day for his dive against Portsmouth back in the 2003/04 season. Eduardo was hauled over the coals via the media and indeed given a suspension by UEFA for "simulation" before the decision was reversed following an admission from the governing body that this was to be a one-off ban.

So the question has to be asked, why isn`t Bale treated in the same way?

I don`t want to appear bitter in anyway, indeed, following the demolition of Spurs today, I should be positively euphoric, and whilst that is true, I`m a little saddened by the lack of consistency.

Where are the article and comments from across the footballing world condemning Bale? Let`s face it, he does this all the time, yet he isn`t treated in the same way as other perpetrators.

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Writer: Rocky7

Date:Sunday February 26 2012

Time: 7:59PM

Your Comments

Becasue Gibbs fouled him chief

Phartman87

Rubbish. Football is a contact sport. There was no contact there that could have brought down my four year old son, never mind a fully grown gibbon. The man is a cheat, we've had our players called out when they've cheated so it's only fair we reciprocate.

Rocky7

Your duplicity is astounding!
Never seen RVP or Arteta dive?
I might sound like Wenger here, but I haven't had a clear view of the incident yet. I will reserve Judgement.

Hotspur 1882

God can do no wrong. Dont you know that by now , Rocky?

Sajit

If Bale deliberately dived, then that is clearly disgraceful. No place for that in a Tottenham shirt. If any player repeatedly dives, let them pack their bags for Real or Citeh, where winning is everything.

Hotspur 1882

As brilliant as Ronaldo was at Man U. I could never consider him as a truly great player, due to his constant cheating.
I would hate to see Bale go the same way.

Hotspur 1882

Yes I have seen RvP dive. (Not seen Arteta dive tbh, not saying it has or hasn't happened just that I haven't seen it) But if you'd have read the article you'd know that I've condemned our players. But the fact we've had to listen to Spurs fans, the media and anyone else have slagged us off to high heaven, yet Bale, who has become a habitual diver, barely gets a mention.

Rocky7

Hotspur obviously can't read as you so clearly said Arsenal players have been guilty of diving and you don't like it there either. Anyway, everytime I have seen Spuds play this year Bale has gone down faster than a fat kid on a honey bun. Not only that, but he has adopted the European thing of rolling around in agony until the ref has either reached for a card or walked away- he is, in my opinion, the biggest cheat in the league right now and even Cristiano Ronaldo would be embarrassed by such antics. It was no penalty today, he dragged his foot to fool the ref into thinking he was tripped- that's cheating no matter who you support.

elbondo

All I want is some consitstency. If one player is a dirty cheat for diving then they all should be (my own personal stance). The fact that no-one says anything about this when it's clearly happening a lot of the time bothers me.

Rocky7

Sorry, you are quite right, I didn't read it thoroughly. I agree with your point though.
Retrospective bans, or even point deductions via video evidence, for absolutely clear cut diving would help to cut it out.

Hotspur 1882

Bet Mr. Wenger wouldn't have had a clear view if one of his players had dived and been awarded a penalty.

:o)))

Hotspur 1882

Hotspur - I was thouroughly in favour of the ban for Eduardo's diving as long as it was implemented world wide. The fact that everyone was willing to crucify Dudu for his actions yet nobody was willing to point fingers at everyone else frustrates me. It's either bad, or it isn't. Let's choose one and stick with it.

Rocky7

Rocky:
Correct. Gaining an unfair advantage (diving) should be despised by all and punished consistently. There are many other ills, such as swearing at officials; the embarrassing feigning injury etc, that blight our game. All should be stopped.
Seemingly unjust things happen all the time in football. Some are punished, some get away scott free, others are crucified. Today at Wembley, Gerard was clearly seen giving the ref e real effing! Rooney does the same and it's all over the newspapers. Gerard is one diver who rarely gets a mention.

Hotspur 1882

Uh, is it 'cause Bale is a nice Briddish lad (they don't do that sort of thing doncha know) and flavour of the month, but Pires and Eduardo were dirty foreigners who are raised on cheating as soon as they can walk?

fifthcolumnblue

I too thought it was cheating at first, then I saw the replay. and in the studio, Phil Thompson and all the other guys were saying the referee got the decision "spot on". Take off those red glasses and start celebrating instead. Can't believe this was your instant thought after the game; "I have to write an article about cheating Bale, cause that incident didn't seem a penalty to me". Go nuts, After you lose RvP in the summer, you will have a hard time getting a result like that again. Congrats btw, you were the better team today!

NorwaySpurs

I was extremely disappointed with Tyler/Neville reaction to it. If they don't call it then the mainstream media definitely wont. Neville(who admittedly has been a better pundit than footballer) basically called it 'intelligent'.

goooner4life

Also are we gonna hear anything about Saint Parker trying to get Szcezza sent off? Somehow I don't think so. It seems to be the action rather then the intent that gets vilified. Card waving a foreign thing, bad. Asking for a '******** red card' a British thing, good.

goooner4life

I totally agree. The one thing i would say though is that Bale gets mullered more than pretty much any player in the league, due to the nature of his game. He's also had some shocking inurys and in a way i'm glad he's starting riding tackles, Charlie Adam nearly ended his career last season. Today was a dive though, no question. No excuse for it what so ever.

HuddersfieldYiddo

Rocky7: How fast are you? If you imagine running as fast as you can, the multiply that speed by 2. Then think of what would happen if someone were to give you a little kick to the heel.......Fast players like Bale, Lennon, Oxlade-Ch, Walcott should be forgiven for "falling easily". If I were refereeing today, I probably would have given Bale a yellow for diving, then when I gto home and watched it on tape, I would regret not giving him a penalty. Video-refereeing should be easy with todays technology.

NorwaySpurs

I do notice that Bale does get a good kicking all the time, but does he dive to draw attention to the kickings or does he get kickings because he dives? PS - NorwaySpurs, with regard to you comment of my first reaction to whinge about Bale. First things first, my initial reaction was to down a few pints of Guiness whilst watching the cup final, then to write an article about todays game being a wake-up call, and finally to write the Bale article. I think I did ok :)

Rocky7

Gareth Bales blatant diving & play acting is getting out of hand .It`s embarrassing & disgraceful .The FA are so quick to tell the fans to behave but what about the players ? ,they too have a responsibility if not more .Bale should be hit with a straight 3 match ban ,he & others watching won`t do it again ,got to send the message out .

big cockeral

Yep, looked a disgraceful dive on replay... there is no way (i.e. 100% impossible) to judge these things without replays so if you;re like me and you want consistency you are forced to admit that video technology is the way to go... its just not possible for the one set of human eyes to see everything!

Andy-T

It was a dive; period. Bale was already on his way down before any touch of relevance. Good spot, HY. To be fair, Rocky, most posts on the VS site today condemned Bale no end; but I get the point that the media has not created as much furore about his serial diving as they did Pires' and Edu's singular diving incidents. Only one way to stamp this out: retrospective punishment, uniformly administered.

Naijagunner

The fact that the ref didn't book Chesney and had to speak to his linesman (after ALREADY AWARDING the penalty) said everything about his indecision. If he wasn't sure how the feck can he give a penalty? We won that game IN SPITE of some crap officiating and outrageous bad luck.

Wyn Mills

Personally, Im not really liking the way Bale appears to becoming arrogant and thinking he is something he is not. Against Liverpool he went down untouched which I didnt like and I think that he appears to make more of a meal out of challenges than he used to. On today though, i think that in the box, if you are touched or clipped you ahve the right to go down like it or not. David Silva, i think deserved a penalty aganinst Chelsea, same with Modric earlier in season cant remember who ti is against. If you stay up you may avoid a goal scoring opportunity so you can go down if you are clipped. I thought that Gibbs clipped Bale from behind, and he went down as he was clipped, but the way he went down was in a typical diving manner. At the end fo the day he was clipped from behind and I think that deserves a pen. Begrudgingly well played, best/most exciting derby in the world bar none!!!

IGSpur

Althought I agree that when someone is travelling quick and are anticipating they are gonna get clattered, I do think to protect themselves they go down, rather than risk a broken leg. Its jsut the rolling around thats annoying me, rather than the riding of challenges

IGSpur

Oh Bale, he fell like he was shot, and then looked up at the ref immediately he hit the grass. He knew what he was doing alright and you Spuds cheered when u got the goal. That's why u Spuds will never be in the league of great teams. U have players who have no prestige. Lionel Messi is a fast attacker, faster than Bale, and gets kicked a lot. But u don't see him diving around looking for penalties. I'm going out on a limb but he's about the only Barca who doesn't have a degree in Soccer Theatrics. I really love how things played out. You spuds cheated to get into the lead and lost by 5 great goals: no tricks, no free kicks, no penalties, pure class. Enough said, you were never in our league anyway and still won't be. Moving on, we have got 3rd place to own. What a derby!

Guyfox

Guyfox
Behave. You would love Bale in your side. Having seen the replays on TV, it is evidently not a dive. Spurs have a tradition of fair play. Be partisan by all means. But please be sensible and fair minded.

Hotspur 1882

. . . . and ungracious when winning is even worse than being a bad loser.

Hotspur 1882

I was going to comment condemning Bale as he has been diving more and more and watching the game I thought he was at it again. No Spurs fans want to see it from what I've heard and it is embarassing and wrong. Looking at the video closely though I have to say I've changed my mind on this one, there is clearly contact from the chasing player (is it Gibbs?), though probably not from Szceznezczenzcny. In that position you would expect an attacking player to go down on contact if it's hindered his chances of scoring; that's not the same as a straight dive, and in any case I think the contact was enough in this case considering the pace they are going at - the Gooner goes for the ball and catches the player instead (i.e. a foul). In the main though, I agree with the sentiment of the article. Bale is too ready to throw himself on the floor and it needs to be looked at. I also feel that he too often over reacts to contact, rolling around, grabbing his ankles, grimacing and slapping the pitch. It's embarassing and he needs to cut it out, agreed; but this wasn't a dive. I think it's a case of you Gooners seeing what you want to see, why not just enjoy your victory and stop trying to vilify our players ;) Link here for analysis: http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/02/26/video-did-gareth-bale-dive-to-win-tottenham-penalty-at-arsenal/

GoldCock

Guy, pay no attention to these mashed spuds crying on our site. You say what you want to fella.

Wyn Mills

Thanks Mills. And em.. 1882, thanks but no thanks we have got Walcott and the Ox. Both pacy as Bale, and better, don't dive. Do us a fav and go cry on VS. This is one victory I will always remember. No DVDs required.

Guyfox

As much as diving is endemic today and has been for some time, equally endemic and pervasive is the underlying systematic xenophobia shown by English pundits, the media and those involved directly in the game itself. It's not just the likes of Bale who's merely 'being clever' as some numpty probably commentated somewhere today. Look at Rooney who's appalling dive to stop our 49 game run was utterly overlooked because of his nationality and the fact he play for the national media darlings. Stevie Me another who has never been taken to task because.. well you just don't start on your own do you? When noone from the the industry in your own country is going to pull you up then you're going to get away with seeing it every weekend. Walcott did it for us and no outpouring of anger because he wasn't foreign yet Eduardo was utterly crucified for the same, both did it against some plucky British no hopers that were exiting the respective competitions anyway but totally different media perspectives, no slack from any side whether from the media or those in the game given to Eduardo that given his horror injury there's no way he'll be leaving feet planted when some lummox comes hurtling in. Nope just a good old fashioned johnny foreigner lynching. Witness too the recent island monkey crap from those utter pillocks Warnock & Fry when Capello resigned recently to see that chest beating tub thumping tiresome retarded nationalistic bollix has never been bred out of the game despite (or maybe because of) the huge influx of some of the worlds finest playing talent into our league.

nikolaijns

As fantastic player as Bale is (I'm not one to disregard him as an overrated kick 'n run merchant and then watch him slaughter my team), he's done plenty of diving in the last year. It's quite awful (and yes there are divers in every team). He gets away with it for being British but also when he dives he just goes to ground and asks for the penalty, as if "it's only fair ref, he fouled me, honest". Foreign players tend to dive with more flair and drama (as my beloved Drogba used to), and then perhaps cry a bit on the ground; and get the jingoistic outrage hashtag "STAY ON YOUR FEET". Bale, Rooney, Gerrard, they know out to dive the British way. Danny Sturridge dives like Drogba though, he needs to refine his style.

BlueBanes

Off topic - loved the chant in the stadium that went 'Harry Redknapp he pays taxes when he wants!'. If its any consolation to Harry, losses are tax deductible.

Deltaforce

Mike Dean's reaction when the Spuds scored their first goal is amusing at first before turning quite sinister! http://www.oohtobeagooner.com/video-is-ref-mike-dean-celebrating-spurs-goal-against-arsenal/

Deltaforce

I am disappointed with Bale's 'dive' for 2 reason, 1 it simply wasn't required, al he had to do was leave his foot in and it was a Penalty but so be it. You on the other hand are deluded, check out Arteta's dive yesterday and you will see why he should be going to the Olympics!

stu_u2k

I might buy the explination that Bale was moving so fast that the slightest contact from Gibbs was enough for it to be a penalty had Bale not gone to ground a couple of paces after he'd gotten past him. That said the general reaction from Spurs fans has been one of condemnation. It's a good stance for all of us to take to try and get it out of the game. Fair play to you.

Rocky7

I'm one of the first to shout at Bale for diving, but there was contact yesterday, and at full speed and full stretch out doesn't take much to knock anyone over. He does dive, of that there is no question and it sickens me but yesterday for the pen I think he was genuine. A light touch but all it needs on someone that fast and off balance.

Tottenham Hotcore

Hello I'm Alan from the docks. Our diving bell is temporarily out of order. I hear there's a diving Bale we can borrow.

Guyfox

I agree.... Bale is a poor professional and a disgrace. I dont want him or anyone else for that matter to represent us at Tottenham if they blatantly cheat.

COYS...!

Btw I remember Gibbs yesterday going down in our box before Walker even touched him. Yet that wasnt given. Think that was worse than Bales

IGSpur

That's the difference there, IGS. Gibbs wasn't looking for a penalty and he was impeded, quite clearly, by Walker. Bale's target was for the keeper to touch him as he stuck his foot out and unbalanced himself in the process with the replays showing the keeper has not touched him; he didn't go down from Gibbs' challenge at all. Anyway, it's all in the past and a big High 5-2 all our lads for that come-back!

Naijagunner

Non-Arsenal fans just don't get it. The point isn't that our players never dive, simulate, exaggerate. Of course they do. I think Gibbs & Arteta both dived or exaggerated yesterday. The POINT is that no other club in the history of the PL has had as much condemnation and scrutiny for "cheating" & "diving" as Arsenal have. While the same conduct goes ignored from media favorites like spurs.

jaelle

I would like to agree with you. As a spurs boy, I'd rather Bale got back to looking to trick players or beat them with pace rather than dive. This said we've seen plenty of Arsenal players do this year in and year out, and all to often arsenal players kept kicking the ball away with disrespect when they conceeded a foul, based on the letter of hte law they should have had 3 players sent off for this, bit like when Modric got a card for it but no arsenal players did? Any hows, on topic, it's not the players fault as such, football is abusiness now, not a sport, and you get paid to win by any means possible. If we don't have video replays in football, then we are going to have to deal with dives. End of discussion.

SonicBorg

Not only cheating and diving jaelle - PV4 would only have to give an opposition player a dirty look and a yellow card would come out.....

radarman

Its the same old ****e - when manure score goals like they did yesterday its because they are class,brilliant etc etc etc - but nobody says that Norwich's defending was shocking for both goals - and that's how they would have described it if we let Paul Scholes hang about on his own at the far post and just nod it into the net. The media make me sick with their constant bias certain teams.

radarman

Sonicborg, RvP did get a yellow card on Sunday for kicking the ball after a foul was called. The point is since when have the rules been applied to the letter and consistently in football matches? Not since big money and sentiments came into the game. There is hardly a team that doesn't try some small time wasting gimmick once ahead in a game and Arsenal are, perhaps, the most naïve at these aspects of the darker art of winning football games. .

Naijagunner

The difference being of course, Modric pumped the ball a good fifty yards down field, RvP, albeit knowingly, rolled it about 10 yards away.

Little Dutch

Still virtually nothing in the media or a peep from the FA about Bale's cheating. It's truly astounding the level of hypocrisy in this league. Sky have obviously decided that multiple replays of monkey-boy's chicanery are inappropriate for the eyes of younger viewers. Disgraceful.

Wyn Mills

Younger viewers are probably no stranger to it Wyn.. http://kinelco.com/iphone/images/mdlogo.png

nikolaijns

LOL! Its an app!

Wyn Mills

Bale hones his skills... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxohXc99Hvc

Wyn Mills

http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/does-this-video-prove-gareth-bale-was-clipped-by-kieran-gibbs-for-spurs-penalty-at-arsenal/

RealDanger

As I posted before, that video proves nothing other than Bale is a cheat. Gibbs "contact" (not that that video proves there was any) doesn't move Bale's limbs at all, so why would he need to fall down?

Rocky7

FIFA 12 realism hits new high: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpqwG0SLPo&feature=related

Wyn Mills

Because the replay clearly shows gibbs take his ankle, slate for being shot but my god!!! I could understand this of you lost but to slate a player for diving when he clearly didn't, get a grip!

spurticus87

It showed nothing of the sort. It showed Bale's foot go backwards on to ever so slightly touch Gibbs foot. There would be no reason for that action cause Bale's left leg to shoot out the other way making him fall over. Football is a contact sport, Gibbs is allowed to touch Bale (though that isn't what happened), only when the contact to sufficient enough to knock Bale out of his stride, or bring him down, could it be considered a foul. Therefore it's clearly a dive and clearly cheating.

Rocky7

You can't blame Bale though, it is endemic in the game and as the old saying goes monkey see monkey do.

nikolaijns

Good artical in Wednesdays ES on Bale dive, calling for a red card to be the punishement. To be talked about at upcoming FA meeting.

No 10

Ooh that would be hilarious, not only do they get a mullering from us but a possible retrospective ban for a star player? Icing.

nikolaijns

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