JON Parkin's sending-off at Scunthorpe took our tally to four this season and was the fifth if you count Jon's pre-season red card against Livingston.

I accept that maybe looks bad on paper and last season we only had one but I don't think we are any more aggressive now.

It's true we have a togetherness which sometimes comes to the fore when there are altercations and that we have got characters in there who can mix it but I think we mix it in the right manner.

I also feel that three of the dismissals - Jon's first, mine and Darren Dunning's - really were a little unjustified so it does not concern me.

If we had a terrible disciplinary record and one or two individuals had three or four red cards then obviously you have to ask questions but I just think, as much as anything, ours have come because of commitment.

I don't necessarily blame the referees either because they are under a hell of a lot more pressure. They seem to be getting assessed not just by one person but by two people and they realise they can't afford to make mistakes.

They get promoted and demoted by their decisions and because of that they are under an intense pressure and if a player does something, such as swearing, they have to follow the letter of the law.

I do not know if that pressure is necessary. I think you have to let them get on with it and apply their own common-sense to situations. They will make honest mistakes as players do and sometimes you have to accept that because nobody gets everything 100 per cent right.

As players, I think the referees that have a bit of banter with you and might let one or two things go earn your respect. They usually calm things down by having a quiet word.

But with the referees that have a more military approach, I think you will find the players are a bit offish with them as well because you fight fire with fire sometimes.

In Jon's case he will be fined accordingly because, as much as anything, we are losing him for four games. You might think missing Barnsley is punishment enough but with something like that we have a fine procedure and Jon will be treated no differently.

We have got a tough disciplinary regime. Players are fined and it all goes into a players' pool which they do get back to some degree.

There's all sorts of punishments from not wearing flip-flops right through to being late for a match. In fairness, they adhere to them but I think you need these things in place otherwise there's no discipline at a football club and it makes it difficult to manage them.

I appealed against my red card and thought I would get away with it and I think perhaps now there ought to be somebody like a fourth official in the stands who has the benefit of video evidence to make decisions, especially with red cards because there's normally a delay in the game anyway.

But sometimes you have to accept it as well.

Jon's was intent as much as anything because his arm went up and it was the same for the lad from Scunthorpe so really there's no argument. That's the letter of the law and the referee and linesmen have to abide by that.

Jon is now going to miss four games because it's his second dismissal and that's like losing a player for a month which is frustrating when he should not have got the first.

Updated: 09:06 Thursday, October 30, 2003