Dowie is not afraid to punish his players for diving

He said: "If there's a blatant dive and a player is feigning injury when there is no contact they should be fined.

"The managers have a responsibility for the behaviour of their players - although it is the referee who has to act on the pitch.

"When Sandor Torghelle dived against Charlton last season I told him it was unacceptable and he was fined for it."

Dowie added: "That was the right thing to do."

The diving debate is a hot topic after recent high-profile events, including Didier Drogba's apparent exaggerated reaction to a tackle against Manchester City last weekend.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed referees do not have enough of a deterrent at their disposal to deal with diving.

But, while Dowie has made his stance clear, he has blamed striker Andy Johnson being tarnished with a reputation for diving in the Championship as a problem for his promotion-chasing side.

He stated: "Andrew Johnson is the most honest player I have worked with and doesn't dive.

"Because of some ill-informed and stupid comments about him last season, he now doesn't get penalties. It's a fact."