IT took 44 years, but a local Sunday League footballer has finally picked up his first ever yellow card - and he is not happy about it.

Ian Henderson, 58, was shown the yellow card as his Royale Marine side took on Castel di Sangrio in the Southampton Sunday League Junior Division Five game at Riverside Park earlier this month.

The centre-back has been playing Sunday League football since he was a teenager, but had never before found himself in the referee's notebook.

However, Henderson, the former sports editor at BBC Radio Solent, was shown the now infamous yellow card after an altercation with a Castel di Sangrio player, who the referee said he pushed.

Henderson believes that the booking was unfair and has expressed his disappointment at having his long-running record tarnished.

He said: "I've been playing for 44 years and I've never been booked, but I received a booking for an alleged push against Castel di Sangrio at Riverside Park.

"I am very disappointed to have received it, particularly as I feel it was completely unjustified."

Henderson is hopeful, however, that the booking will be overturned and that his perfect disciplinary record will be returned to him.

He added: "I've never had a booking in all this time and I don't want to scar my unblemished record.

"I am appealing against it and I am hoping to have it rescinded."