THE latest controversy surrounding Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney illustrates much of what is wrong with professional football today.

The Premiership may well be the most exciting league in Europe. This season's title race has all the ingredients of an exciting real life soap opera: Chelsea, fuelled by their Russian billionaire's money, lead the way; Arsenal and Manchester United, who in previous seasons have played some beautiful football, fight to prevent a blip becoming terminal decline, and a couple of dark horses with astute managers - Everton and Middlesbrough - attempt gamely to make something out of very little.

So on Sunday Wayne Rooney dived to win a free kick. The referee failed to be conned and turned away. Rooney's opponent, a Bolton Wanderer named Tal Ben Haim, then accused Rooney of diving and, behind the referee's back, Rooney slapped him in the face.

It was only a minor slap, but Haim collapsed pole-axed and rolled around for minutes in apparent agony. He was doing exactly what he had accused Rooney of: exaggerating an incident to win something from the referee.

In another word: cheating.

Haim's manager and captain have both admitted that Haim went down with embarrassing ease. We have yet to hear from them whether they intend to do anything about it, or whether he'll be carrying on with his attempts to con the referee in Bolton's match today.

It will also be interesting to see whether Manchester United are big enough to do anything about Rooney's antics. Or will he be allowed to carry on tumbling and fighting without being checked?

It would be bad enough him being allowed to embarrass his club, but if he continues his stupidity at an international level - we hope he has a long international future because he is a young man of immense promise - it will cost his country dearly.

And then we come to the Football Association. While the referee cannot be expected to have eyes in the back of his head, several million television viewers from the comfort of their sofas saw the incident over and over again.

It is so blatant an incident that, if the FA is to have any credibility, it has to take action against both parties.

And in the multi-million pound world of football where fines are mere gnat's bites, that action must mean suspension.

The FA has to stand up and say that cheats - in particular violent cheats - will not prosper in modern football.