YORK City have taken young Wycombe Wanderers striker Andrew Bell on trial in a big week of off-the-field action.

City yesterday signed Sunderland midfielder Jonjo Dickman on a month's loan and player-manager Chris Brass was hoping to add another name to the squad later in the week.

Meanwhile, Bell, a 20-year-old former England Under-15 international, has also been training at the club with a view to securing a loan spell.

Brass is already impressed with the former Blackburn Rovers talent, who has scored three times for Wanderers in Division Two this season.

He said: "He's a striker who has a lot of potential so we are having a look at him.

"It's just a case of people wanting to let us take these young players on loan. The difficulty is that some of the young Premiership and Division One players are on three times as much as some of my seasoned professionals.

"But he's impressed me in training and he's certainly got an eye for goal."

Brass has stepped up his quest to sign a forward on loan in the next few days and is 'fairly optimistic' he will land someone in time for Saturday's home game against Scunthorpe United.

But City midfielder Stephen Brackstone has gone to Boston United for a trial after being told his contract will not be renewed come the end of the season.

The 21-year-old has had a patchy season with spells in and out of the squad and is now looking for a new club.

Brass said: "We were honest with him and told him there will not be a deal for him in the summer so he's gone to Boston for a trial with a view to sorting him out and getting him fixed up."

Brackstone will play for Boston's reserves against Darlington tonight and will return to City later in the week.

City's own Reserves meanwhile, are without a game this afternoon.

They were due to travel to Lincoln but the game was called off this morning because the Sincil Bank pitch was too hard after heavy overnight frost.

That will be frustrating for Brass, who planned to play long-term absentee Leigh Wood.

Wood is recovering from a shoulder injury after being out for several months. He was to have been joined by fellow first team faces Justin Walker, Stuart Wise, Stephen Downes and Christian Fox.

Brass is hoping to get his red card from Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Boston United reduced to a caution to cut down his ban from four matches to two.

The player-boss was dismissed by referee David Pugh for a late challenge on Lee Thompson in the 78th minute, condemning him to a four-match ban as it was his second red of the season.

But he is hoping video evidence might sway the Football Association appeal decision in his favour.

He said: "I am waiting for the video to come through in the next couple of days and we are going to have a look. I only saw it briefly on Sunday but I think it was a bit harsh and hopefully we might be able to get it reduced.

"I hold my hand up and it was definitely a yellow card but we will be asking the FA to have a look at it."

If the dismissal is reduced to a caution, Brass will still have to serve a suspension for his fifth booking, but it would be shorter.

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, February 25, 2004