Tony Pulis has held talks with Mike Riley, manager of the Professional Game Match officials board, after claiming that Stoke City players are treated differently by officials from the opposition. The Stoke manager feels too manyreferees are going into games involving his side with preconceived ideas about their style of play. He believes this is why Stoke are bottom of the Premier League fair play table with 32 yellow and three red cards this season.
Pulis claims Ciaran Clark's challenge on the Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan at the weekend would have resulted in a red card had it been committed by one of his players. In the event the Aston Villa defender was not punished.
Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel: "I have spoken to Mike Riley this week. I find the whole situation disappointing week after week. Look at the incidents where our players are being booked or sent off, then compare them with similar incidents involving others that are going unpunished. There was the Clark one on Glenn at Villa.
"All we have ever asked is to be treated the same as everyone else but there are preconceptions about us that are unfair."
Pulis also wants high-profile football managers such as Arsenal's Arsène Wenger to lead the fight against players diving.
Pulis said: "It won't come from Tony Pulis or Steve Clarke [West Bromwich Albion manager]. It will be interesting to see what Arsène Wenger and others will make of it because they are the ones who have power in football. You have to ban these players for three games; they will soon stop diving."
Pulis claims Ciaran Clark's challenge on the Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan at the weekend would have resulted in a red card had it been committed by one of his players. In the event the Aston Villa defender was not punished.
Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel: "I have spoken to Mike Riley this week. I find the whole situation disappointing week after week. Look at the incidents where our players are being booked or sent off, then compare them with similar incidents involving others that are going unpunished. There was the Clark one on Glenn at Villa.
"All we have ever asked is to be treated the same as everyone else but there are preconceptions about us that are unfair."
Pulis also wants high-profile football managers such as Arsenal's Arsène Wenger to lead the fight against players diving.
Pulis said: "It won't come from Tony Pulis or Steve Clarke [West Bromwich Albion manager]. It will be interesting to see what Arsène Wenger and others will make of it because they are the ones who have power in football. You have to ban these players for three games; they will soon stop diving."
