Donovan Ricketts today insisted hand-on-heart: I would never swear at the crowd.

City's giant stopper is still proclaiming his innocence after the first red card of his career.

Ricketts was waiting on the club's appeal to the Football Association to find out if he can face Barnsley in tonight's FA Cup replay at Valley Parade.

Ricketts maintains he did nothing wrong against Southend, whatever the ruling from the FA hearing in London.

The big Jamaican, sent off for gesturing after claims he was racially abused, said he was only signalling the score.

"You hear stuff all the time as a goalkeeper and you can't stop people saying things," he said. "But I thought us going 1-0 in front would shut it up so I just put my index finger up.

"Sometimes I will scream and shout but I would never have done an obscene gesture in that situation. There are kids behind the goal and to stick the middle finger up would be rude."

The mild-mannered Ricketts is still shocked at how the incident suddenly escalated.

"When we scored, someone shouted something and some sweet wrappers were thrown at me. But I see guns where I come from so someone throwing a wrapper won't scare me!

"I just did a gesture back to show that we were winning and nothing else. And then the referee sent me off for what he said was an offensive gesture, which cost us two points which we can't get back.

"I did nothing really and got a red card, which is totally disappointing. I feel like I let the team down because it's a game we should have won."

A fan has been charged with a public order offence and Southend chairman Ron Martin said the club would issue a lengthy ban to anyone found making racial insults.

Ricketts added: "That's my first time experiencing something like that, although I know it does go on. But it doesn't put me off doing my job.

"But the next time I won't turn around to the other fans and make any reaction. The City supporters will get a wave but nobody else."

Colin Todd, who will play Russell Howarth if Ricketts is banned, is hoping for a case of third-time lucky against the Tykes.

Todd said: "We've had two excellent games against them and acquitted ourselves very well over there. We've got to have a performance like that here.

"We are playing a side that have been scoring goals and got five on Saturday. But we've been on our travels three times in a week and done extremely well."