There might not have been any contact when Lewis Ferguson went down under Nathan Atkinson’s challenge to win a penalty for Aberdeen at Tynecastle.
But Hearts boss Robbie Neilson certainly didn’t miss Ferguson in his post-mach press conference as he ripped into the Dons man for diving.
The Jambos will say justice was done as Ferguson missed the subsequent spot kick, ending his perfect record from 12 yards this season
Neilson said afterwards: “It’s a dive. The player has tried to con him (the referee) and managed to do that. It’s just disappointing.”
Ferguson has been accused of oing down too easily previously but Jim Goodwin defended his player, saying: “If he has made those comments then I am quite disappointed because Lewis is not a diver.”
The Dons man has earned a bit of a reputation and here Record Sport Online looks at others in Scottish football over the year who were accused of going down too easily.
Saulius Mikoliunas
The former Hearts player became a target for abuse after diving to win a penalty for Lithuania against Scotland in a Euro 2008 qualifier at Hampden.
He received a two-match ban from UEFA after taking a tumble over the outstretched leg of Darren Fletcher despite no contact being made.
Then SFA chief executive Gordon Smith hit out, saying: “It could be that he reverted to what is acceptable in Lithuania because he was playing for his national side, even though it's unacceptable here."
Smith announced plans to use video evidence to punish 'simulation' after taking over at Hampden this summer.
Stilian Petrov
The Bulgarian addressed his reputation for being a diver in a recent interview after current Celtic star Kyogo faced similar accusations.
He said: “When things like that are said about you – and you feel they are totally unfair – then it can lead to tough times.”
Petrov spoke out during his time at Parkhead, particularly after winning a spot kick against Kilmarnock which resulted in a backlash.
But he said: “I’m no cheat. I don’t cheat because I know how hard everyone works in football including the players you are up against.”
Kyle Lafferty
The Northern Ireland international’s infamous act of simulation when he feigned injury after going head to head with Charlie Mulgrew earned him a club fine and the wrath of Walter Smith.
And three years ago the current Kilmarnock man received a red card on his debut for Sarpsborg in Norway for diving against Viking.
While at Hearts, Celtic star Nir Bitton also branded him a diver for a failed attempt to win a free kick for Hearts at Parkhead while already on a booking.
Bitton said: “Should Lafferty have been sent off? Well, he had a yellow card then it was 100-per-cent a dive.”
Jamie Walker
He received a two-match ban for diving on the opening day of the 2016/17 season which led to a furious outburst from Celtic captain Scott Brown.
Walker went down in the box under a challenge from Kieran Tierney and Brown claimed it was worthy of the Rio Olympics, due to be staged at the time.
He said: “He should be at Rio! Dive, cheat – what else can you say? There is no place in football for cheats and that has been a couple of times here now.”
Peter Pawlett
The forward was labelled a cheat in a furious rant by then Dundee boss John Brown for diving to win a penalty for Aberdeen to relegate the Dark Blues.
Brown said: “He should be ashamed of himself. But there you go. How many cheats are there in the game?”
Pawlett was handed a ban by the SFA as was Brown for his comments but it was the only instance Pawlett has been involved in.
And the current Dundee United man claimed his “natural” way of falling worked against him.
He said: “The way I go down doesn’t help the ref’s decision but that’s the natural way I go down. I’m not diving, I’ve done that ever since I was a kid.”
Martin Boyle
The former Hibs star was accused of accused of looking like a “child learning to dive into a swimming pool” as the Sportscene panel assessed his booking for simulation.
He was booked for simulation in a defeat against Rangers which prompted BBC pundit Richard Foster to say: “It’s a great turn from Nisbet and a great run from Boyle showing his pace. But then he looks like a child who’s learning to dive in the swimming pool.”
John MacDonald
Ally McCoist revealed how the 1980s Rangers striker went down so easily he earned the nickname "Polaris" - the name of the UK's nuclear submarine missile programme.
Speaking on talkSPORT a couple of years ago, McCoist said: "We used to have a centre-forward, wee John MacDonald. He was brilliant, Wee Solo his nickname was.
"He didn't dive a lot but he used to go down maybe a little easily. And he had a nickname throughout the rest of the league called Polaris. They reckoned he went down like a nuclear submarine.”
For your chance to win HOME tickets to Cinch SPFL matches each week across ALL FOUR divisions just enter our competition below. You can enter once each week to be in with a chance of winning. CLICK HERE...Good Luck!
