By John May

No rose-tinted spectacles from Simon Jordan

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has a reputation for speaking his mind.

He does not duck difficult questions and has forthright opinions on the big issues concerning the state of the game.

In a hard-hitting interview with BBC Sport, Jordan gives his views on the state of the game.

People say it's part and parcel of the game, but it's not and shouldn't be allowed to continue.

Diving could be eliminated if you have proper officials. By that, I mean linesmen who do their jobs instead of flagging down planes or whatever it is they do.

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I think players who dive should be sent off, given a straight red. It would only take a few dismissals to stamp it out.

Andrew Johnson has been given this reputation as a player who dives but that's ridiculous.

He gets clocked every week and doesn't get penalties. He would score far more goals if he didn't get pulled down.

The Crystal Palace chairman has been an outspoken critic of agents, accusing them of unsettling Andrew Johnson and Wayne Routledge. But he has a shareholding in First Artists management.

I don't vilify agents as a species. I vilify bad agents.

If an agent does a good job for me then I will pay him - but I don't deal with players' agents or agents employed by other clubs.

I invested in First Artists for two reasons; first, I thought they might be a good investment and I could make a few bob, and secondly because I've fired my bullets off at a lot of other agents and I needed to have a relationship with one.

The departure of former Palace boss Steve Bruce for Birmingham left a bad taste in Jordan's mouth which still remains.

I don't have an issue with Steve Bruce, but I don't like the people he works for Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan

As well as enticing a couple of players away form Selhurst Park, the Blues also tried to prize Johnson away.

I don't have an issue with Steve Bruce, I like him. He made a judgement call, but I don't like the people he works for.

They recently berated their players after they lost to Liverpool in the FA Cup, but what is David Sullivan trying to achieve?

He was venting his spleen but what does that do?

At the end of last season when we were relegated we managed to keep an England striker.

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Regardless of whether we go up or not, AJ will be at Palace next season if I choose for him to be there.

Keeping him will be as hard as we want to make it, loyalty is reciprocal.

I gave Andrew a lot and I was entitled to something back.

All the speculation about him this season has been just that. His agent turned his head a little, but we nuked him in about five seconds.

Every contract I've negotiated with Andrew takes five minutes.

Besides, I don't think there are many clubs who could match the valuation I would put on him.

The cream will always rise to the top and in every industry you will have an elite, and there's nothing wrong with that, you have something to strive for.

All the money in English football goes to the Premiership. If you're a Championship club you would say more of it should be shared around.

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The Football League chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney has come up with all these initiatives, but the problem he has is that nobody wants to play in the Championship.

There was a lot said about Chelsea's financial state when Roman Abramovich took over, that they supposed to be close to bankruptcy.

Manchester United have got a cheek having a go at the way Chelsea have spent money Simon Jordan

But if they were a cash-poor club, they were rich in assets.

I think Manchester United have got a cheek having a go at the way Chelsea have spent money.

Manchester United have been buying �30m and �20m players for years, and also paying �15m for teenagers.

All that's happened is that Chelsea have spent a similar amount in a shorter time to catch up.

Manchester United should stop whining. Two years ago everyone was whining because the transfer market was suppressed.

Now it's over-priced because of Chelsea and people are still moaning.

I've been in football for six years, I find it ultimately to be a disingenuous and dishonest game.

I'm certainly not in it for the money. If we are promoted it will cost �5m before we start in players' bonuses. Even if we make it to the play-offs and get no further, it will cost me personally �200,000.

I'll get out when I've stabilised Palace in the Premiership, in a new stadium and when somebody comes along who can take it further.

But there's never going to be a queue for that.