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Three-match ban wasn't the Christmas present I was after

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Morecambe's David Artell on being sent off, watching from the stands and why the January transfer window is a good time of year for football agents

I'll be sat in the stands this weekend watching my team-mates play against Macclesfield due to getting sent off last Saturday. It was a very harsh sending off for an alleged stamp but I've never been sent off for violent conduct in my career and I certainly didn't stamp on Peterborough's right winger. He slid in late, I jumped in the air and my trailing leg caught the player. The linesman flagged and the referee had no option other than to send me off but to put it simply, the linesman got it wrong.

Having watched the DVD of the incident 20 minutes after the final whistle the manager said we should definitely appeal as the video evidence backed my claim but that got rejected on Wednesday. You have to lodge an appeal within 24 hours of the incident and it costs the club £250. All the evidence to support your claim has to be at the FA within 48 hours of the incident and the appeals panel usually meets on a Monday so you know if you're available for a midweek match but with it being the festive season the panel didn't meet until Wednesday so I was eligible to play on New Years Day. I was disappointed that the sending off wasn't overturned but having seen Ashley Cole's sending off for handball against Aston Villa not get overturned when he clearly didn't handball it, then the damage had already been done and it would have took the panel to be still in the Christmas spirit to overturn it.

I shall watch all three games I'm suspended for, although I'm not a good watcher, like most footballers. I believe you should support the lads whatever personal circumstances you are in and I hope we continue on our good run that saw our gaffer get nominated for the Manager of the Month Award again. Although he just missed out, it reflects our good form.

It will be a busy month for certain people in the football world, none more so than football agents. Ian Holloway this week complained about the transfer window and said there would be uproar if shops and supermarkets were only open for two periods in the year. He has a point as there is a mad rush of transfers and one set of people who influence the game the most, football agents, are coining it in. It's their most profitable time of the year and I'm sure that a certain proportion of (high) transfers are panic buys that without the transfer window might not take place as managers don't feel under pressure to buy before the window shuts.

Holloway also said that Premiership academy youngsters should be allowed out on loan to play 'real' football whenever the clubs choose and not be dictated too by a transfer window. I'm not sure who the transfer window helps (with the exception of agents) but it's certainly not football clubs themselves.

With it been the first week in January there will be FA Cup fever hitting a few towns and cities up and down the country now that the big boys are in the competition. Unfortunately it wont be hitting Morecambe as we got knocked out in the first round although we've had our fair share of cup fever with our Carling Cup run. There will always be one or two upsets and that's the beauty of the cup. One potential upset could be at the Brittania Stadium where an under performing Newcastle will play Stoke. With it being televised, Newcastle's players won't have anywhere to hide and I think they will be too strong for their Championship counterparts and I'll be looking to lay Stoke at [3.6].

David Artell plays for Morecambe FC:

http://www.morecambefc.com/community.htm