Read this if you haven’t done so already – it is my take on the shirt pulling debate. If you can’t be bothered, my basic tenet is that to cut out widespread cheating you have to clamp down on the little things, and refs who penalise minor examples of offences are right to do so.

Another instance of this cropped up in the Man City – Hull game yesterday. Geovanni retook a free kick twice (three times in total) due to players breaking from the wall to charge it down – and for two of those offences, players were booked – first Shaun Wright-Phillips, then Steven Ireland. Mark Hughes was fuming, the players were incredulous – but for me, the referee did excellently, and should be applauded.

If they continued doing it, he should have booked more of them.

The fact is – as shown on MOTD – that the City players broke and charged the ball down before the attacker had struck the ball – that’s against the rules. And by the letter of the law, which we have to encourage referees to stick to – to avoid inconsistency and uncertainty – Phillip Dowd did precisely what he was supposed to.

He wasn’t cowed by angry Man City players, or the abuse from the fans – he did his job. To avoid the cheating malaise infecting the game, all referees have to be equally strict – equally good.

Another example came in the Bolton v Liverpool game. Gary Cahill’s header was disallowed (rightly) because Pepe Reina was obstructed. ‘This happens all the time’ I hear you cry; but that’s the problem. Because it is not clamped down on, defenders think they can get away with it. But you can’t obstruct off the ball – not even in rugby can you do that – so if it happens, it should be penalised.

So, Rob Styles, a pat on the back for you too.

Let’s hope all refs clamp down on the subtle cheating – the obstructing, shirt pulling, gaining an illegal advantage on free kicks, plus others receiving less exposure, gaining yardage on throws and set pieces, time wasting, and a thousand more. By preventing the little things you stop them mushrooming to a game-ruining excess.

Letting them get away with the little things gives them carte blanche for the bigger.