Bradford City's Jack Shepherd promises to stay away from ref

The centre half returns at Colchester this afternoon after serving a one-game ban for clocking up five bookings.

He is determined to heed the warning from Graham Alexander to avoid cheap yellow cards by mouthing off at the man with the whistle.

The City boss admits he needs to set a better example himself by not getting tangled up with officials over contentious decisions.

Shepherd knows he must leave any on-pitch discussions to skipper Richie Smallwood.

“He’s the one with the armband who is allowed to do the talking to referees,” said the defender.

“Just let him do the talking and for me, it’s concentrating on my own game. It’s one of those things I’ve got to learn from.

“Things are said in the heat of the moment. It’s tough and something I’ve got to keep working on and stop doing.

“We know as a team, especially with the referees a lot more recently, that they are just getting less and less lenient.

“This season, they tend to be dishing the cards out a lot easier than I’ve seen before. Especially in a few games when there’s been four or five yellow cards in the first 20 minutes.

“But they are the ones with the whistle in their hands and you have to play by their rules.

“They are going to make wrong decisions. They are human anyway, but some are worse than others.

“But I believe decisions even themselves out over the course of the season. You’ve just got to get on with it and deal with it.

“You might see steam coming out of my ears, but I’ll just not say anything.”

Alexander believes referees are under pressure to crack down on players other than the team captain who approach them.

The City boss said: “I know the directives they get from their bosses, so we try to pass on that information to our players.

“I want the players to be the best version of themselves and it’s a distraction. Richie has got a responsibility and he’s got the experience of it.

Graham Alexander was fined for criticising ref Lewis Smith (Image: Tom Pearson)

“Referees talk to us before the game. They will speak to the captain, so we constantly remind the players.

“It’s black and white. He’s the only guy that can speak to the referee so leave it alone and focus on the next action and what you’ve got to do for the team.

“Richie’s experienced enough to be able to communicate with the referee and still crack on with his own game.

“But not everyone’s capable of that and they’re not allowed to anyway. Don’t do it.”

Alexander has been booked twice this season – and was recently fined £1,600 for his post-match blast over referee Lewis Smith’s performance in City’s defeat at Walsall.

He added: “You see me on the side trying to claim for everything and then discussing it with the fourth official.

“There is that urge so I’ve got to show a better example and I do try.

“It’s not just do as I say. I try to step back because there isn’t anything to gain but we all make mistakes.”