English Football League / Ben Herd / 05 March 2009 / 1

Ben Herd holds his hands up for last weekend's debacle but slams those players who tried to get him sent off. He also wonders if a dodgy barnet can effect a player's heading ability and discusses the sacrifices he has made for football...

Last week I spoke about our dreadful away form, and on Saturday we let ourselves down again, not to mention the Town fans. I must hold my hands up to giving away a penalty in the second half. I think it was the second penalty that I have ever given away in my career.

To be fair to the ref I was bang to rights and, in all honesty, I probably deserved to "walk"; funnily enough I knew the ref wasn't going to send me off just by the amount of time he took to reach for his pocket - who said refs were all bad?!

Fair play to him, he stood firm even though he had several Macclesfield players in his face demanding that I be sent off, some of whom had run the length of the pitch to remonstrate.

For me, trying to get a player booked or sent off is on a par with diving; there is no need for it and games are hard enough without people trying to make them harder for you. I believe that the influence of the foreign player may have something to do with this because I cannot recall seeing to many British players waving imaginary yellow and red cards.

Another thing that is starting to wind me up whenever Everton are on the box is Maroune Fellaini's dodgy barnet - what is that all about? He looks more like Leo Sayer than an international footballer. It would appear that I am not the only one who it is winding up - I read that David Moyes has told the Belgian to shave his 'fro off as he believes it's having a detrimental affect on his heading ability. He could probably run a bit faster too if he didnt have all that wind resistance to deal with!

I would love our Gaffer to order a few of the boys to have a a trim-up, although looking back I can't remember any of my previous managers telling me to do anything off the pitch. However, if they had, I suppose I would have to consider it if it meant keeping my place in the team.

The closest example I can think of is Graham Taylor. When I was a schoolboy, training with the reserves at Watford, he banned everyone from wearing jeans! Speaking of dodgy barnets, it's a topic that always crops up on pretty much a daily basis in our changing room banter. A few of the lads are in denial about losing their locks especially Dave Hibbert who tries so hard to cover it up with a Bobby Charlton-style comb over. But then again, who am I to comment?

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Remeniscing about my school days makes me appreciate how much those times have shaped the person I am today. Take drinking as an example: when I was 14/15 and playing for the youth team, I was tucked up in bed on Friday nights, ready for the game on Saturday morning. I wasn't going to house parties or down the park with a bottle of White Lightning like so many 'normal' lads my age were doing.

When you don't get accustomed to something, you don't miss it. As my Dad has always drilled into me from an early age, football is a short career so if you want to be a big drinker, then you have the rest of your life to practice after football.

The same could be said of eating. There are times when I would love a curry on a Friday night but realise that it is not going to be beneficial to me on the Saturday. Even when I do hang my boots up, I can't see myself altering too much - except the occassional Friday night curry - because football has taught me to be health conscious and I don't want to look like Mr Blobby on the beach!

Another player who was probably winding his manager up, until recently, is Bobby Zamora, having gone from September to February not notching in the Premier League. To be kind to Zamora, he has persevered in testing times, confidence-wise.Strikers all go through lean spells - take our Grant Holt, who up until recently was doing everything but scoring. Taking Holty as an example, it would seem the harder that you work and keep plugging away, eventually you get your rewards...and maybe you get lucky and you score off your bum!

Zamora's Fulham take on Man United this weekend at Craven Cottage in the FA Cup. For me there is only one outcome, which won't surprise many of you, to back United at [2.00] but I also fancy the Under 2.5 goals at [1.72], with United maybe keeping a bit back for the Inter game in midweek.

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1. Adam Slater | 07 March 2009

   Gr8 stuff!

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