Carr promises Sunday best for derby

Stephen Carr, Birmingham skipper, insists he has no regrets about the hand gesture which angered Aston Villa fans and led to him receiving a ban as he prepares for tomorrow's derby at Villa Park.

Carr was given a one-match suspension by the Football Association after the incident at the end of the corresponding fixture last season.

It was the climax to a volatile clash with Blues defender Roger Johnson fined 5,000 for criticising match officials over the controversial penalty which earned Villa a 1-0 win.

But Carr is adamant he will be on his best behaviour tomorrow. He said: "I'll be behaving myself this time. I'm not going through that again, sitting in front of five men (FA disciplinary commission) talking to me like a child again.

"I'll be keeping my hands to myself. Do I regret now what I did? No, that's life. Do you know what I mean?

"At that time I was quite emotional. You shouldn't regret it, that's life. It's not good but you can't regret it."