Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has called for players who dive to be shown straight red cards.
Manchester United’s Ashley Young was booked for tumbling over after a challenge by Palace’s Kagisho Dikgacoi in United’s 2-0 win on Saturday.
Dikgacoi was dismissed when the pair clashed again later in the first half.
“If preventing a goal-scoring opportunity is a straight red then trying to create one by cheating should be a straight red also,” said Parish.
Young was booked by referee Jon Moss for the first incident, with replays suggesting the England player had initiated the contact with Dikgacoi himself.
Referee Moss later awarded a penalty to the home side for a challenge on Young by Dikgacoi, who was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
“The only player in the incidents yesterday that was honest was Kagisho Dikgacoi and he’s sent off and banned for the next match,” Parish added in an email to BBC Radio 5 live’s 606 programme on Sunday night.
“Ashley Young’s dive and the appeal before put pressure on the ref to give a subsequent penalty that was certainly outside the area and probably wasn’t even a foul.
“Ashley Young has a yellow card and three points and we have no points and one less player to pick from for the next game.
“Might have cost us a point that might keep us up. Need to get some momentum behind a straight red for a dive.”
Palace manager Ian Holloway refused to discuss the incident following the match, saying his opinion “didn’t count”, but United boss David Moyes said he would not tolerate diving from his players.
“I don’t want my players diving. It’s not what I want. Dikgacoi definitely throws his leg out but Ashley put his leg into his leg.
“I don’t like the rule where every time it is the last man it means it is [a red card],” added Moyes. “I thought it was harsh.”
Last season, 34 yellow cards were shown for simulation in the Premier League, up 14 on the previous season’s total and the highest recorded over the previous four years.
Gareth Bale was the player booked most times in the Premier League under the ruling that deals with diving, the Wales international receiving six yellow cards while playing for Tottenham.
BBC SPORT
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