THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

As for the wider context of your suggestion, then there's obviously much more sportsmanship / less cheating in more meaningful games in some sports than there is in Football. I watch Snooker, and it's amazing how almost all the players will call fouls on themselves, tell the ref if the ball has been put back wrongly in a way that would benefit them, etc. Incredible honesty and sportsmanship even in major finals. You rarely get that in Football when the stakes are high.

It would be interesting to know any other sport had the same level of popularity and financial reward as football would continue to show such sportsmanship. With how outrageously competitive football is along with the pressure from owners, fans, sponsors etc. how much of the cheating/gamesmanship is a result of these pressures, or if some of the players are just pricks anyway

The money in golf is eyewatering. Players regularly call penalties on themselves.

I think it’s a cultural thing.

Personally, I’m more concerned with respecting the referee.

Another excellent example of fair play tonight.
It's the Last 32 of the World Championship - the biggest tournament in the sport, where the winner gets half a million pounds. Shaun Murphy, losing 7-6 at the time, was awarded a free ball that would help win the frame and draw level. He didn't think it was so he and the ref spent about two minutes politely discussing it - even though it was to Murphy's disadvantage to try and change the refs decision. When the ref stuck to it, Murphy opted not to take the free ball as he didn't want to benefit from what he regarded to be the wrong call. Such an amazing sport for players doing honourable things like that.

Good sportsmanship not only needs good player conduct, it also needs officials being fully supported by the sport's governing body. Which in all sports other than football is very much the case. Football officials get very little backup from the FA, EFL or FIFA, so the players take advantage.