Manager Paul Jewell has warned his Bradford City side to avoid needless bookings in this weekend's clash at home to Portsmouth with six of his players just one yellow card away from a suspension.

The Bantams have accrued the joint lowest tally of bookings this season in the First Division with just 34 cautions.

In the current campaign, both the Premiership and Nation-wide Leagues have operated a system whereby any player who receives five, eight or 11 bookings will automatically receive a one game ban.

However the rules also state that bookings handed out after this Sunday will not result in players serving suspensions.

Darren Moore, Stuart McCall and Dean Windass have all received seven bookings this term with Peter Beagrie, Wayne Jacobs and Craig Ramage accruing four apiece.

Jewell said: "Needless bookings are something we have been working on cutting out this season and I have been pleased with the response. I think we have only had three bookings for dissent all season.

"When I was a player I was always getting booked for dissent and I was stupid. Dissent is always a needless booking and we come down quite heavily on that.

"It has been proved over many years in football that the most successful are invariably the ones with the best disciplinary records because they have less players suspended."

If any of the six City players do pick up a booking on Saturday then they will automatically miss the visit to Queens Park Rangers on Monday April 26.

Jewell has, however, also stressed that his players must not let the threat of suspension affect how they approach the clash with Portsmouth.

"No-one will want to miss the QPR game but the players know what is expected of them and I don't want anyone to be in two minds if a challenge is to be won."

Meanwhile, City chairman Geoffrey Richmond says there are plenty of tickets available for the clash with Portsmouth.

The Bantams also visit Port Vale the following Tuesday with around 1,000 of the 2,500 tickets already having been sold.

Richmond said: "The away end holds around 4,000 so there is a possibility of more tickets being sent if we need them. The support at Bury was magnificent and it would be great if we could repeat that with a full away end at Port Vale."

Tickets for the clash at Vale Park priced £15 (concessions £11) are available from the ticket office at Valley Parade.

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