Ronaldo was accused of tumbling under minimal contact to win a penalty at The Riverside. Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky was also accused of going to ground too easily in the derby game against Spurs for the first of Arsenal's two penalties, while on the same day Wigan striker Emile Heskey was also criticised in the game against his former club Liverpool.

Jewell's solution to the controversy is simple: he feels the best way to stop diving is to allow it.

His reasoning is that layers will always try to steal an advantage, gain an edge, but if diving is legalised the decisions will even themselves out.

"I may be the only person in the world who believes this, but why don't we allow it?" Jewell told Sky Sports News.

"The pubs open 24 hours a day and everybody was worried people would be drunk on the streets. Well, there are less drunks on the streets now than when they used to close at three o'clock.

"So we just allow it and stop everyone talking about it. One week you get away with it, the next week you wouldn't. So stop it in my opinion.

"People say it is cheating, but you ask any supporter, and if one of our players goes down in the box and we need a penalty to stay in the league or win a cup, do you know what they are going to say? It will be the same as Man United fans, Liverpool fans, Chelsea fans and chairman: Go down.

"At the end of the day I might get lambasted for that, but that's the way it is.

"We are all trying to get an edge. When the ball goes out of play and it is obviously a corner, defenders always say it is their ball. It is a just creating an edge.

"I hate diving, but if it is in the game and if you allow it, it will go away on its own and people will stop talking about it."

For more soccer news visit Goal.com