Harris sympathises with referees

29 December 2014 12:32

Ron Harris has sympathy with officials and believes players throughout the Premier League - and not just at Chelsea - must take it upon themselves to stamp out the "disease" of simulation.

The issue reared its ugly head once more when Jose Mourinho said Chelsea were subject of a sustained campaign following Cesc Fabregas' yellow card for diving at Southampton on Sunday.

Harris, who made a club record 795 appearances for Chelsea and was nicknamed 'Chopper' for his no-nonsense style, thinks Fabregas and Mourinho were right to feel aggrieved after the midfielder was booked following a tackle from Matt Targett.

Harris told Press Association Sport: "You've only got to look at the young lad that made the tackle - I'm sure he was relieved the referee didn't give a penalty.

"It's a very difficult job refereeing today. It's easy to sit there in the TV studio and say 'he's got this decision wrong'.

"Everybody makes mistakes, but they're being highlighted at the moment.

"Players, in every level of football, seem to go down very easily nowadays compared to what they used to.

"For the last three or four years there's been a disease in football where people fall very easily.

"The only people that will stop it are the players themselves."

Harris is also infuriated by the set-piece grappling which takes place in the penalty areas.

If referees use the rules at their disposal - like when Stoke's Ryan Shawcross was penalised by Michael Oliver for hauling down Wilfried Bony of Swansea in October - Harris believes the practice will be outlawed.

"That's the only way they will stop it," Harris said.

Source: PA