Dirk Lehmann's lucky ear-rings have been banned by the FA.

They have ordered Albion's German star to take them out before matches.

Lehmann's earbashing follows a clampdown by the governing body.

"The FA have sent me a letter saying I have got to take them out," he revealed.

"It's unfortunate, because I am a little bit superstitious. When I take them out I don't feel so comfortable."

Lehmann has had to listen to refs reading the riot act about his ear-rings several times already this season.

West Sussex whistle blower Martin Postles told him to remove them in the early stages of Wednesday night's reserve game against Swindon.

"It's stupid," Lehmann said. "I have played over here for nearly four years now and I never had to take the ear-rings out once until this season.

"At Cambridge on the first day the ref said there are new rules from the FA. I told him I cover them with tape, but I had to take them out.

"I played with them in the second game and nobody said anything. In the third game the ref said I had to tape them and in the fourth I had to take them off again.

"I've watched Beckham and Cole play with earrings for England. Beckham had tape on when he was interviewed on TV.

"I thought to myself this is ridiculous. Why do I have to take them off when everyone else still plays with them?"

Lehmann has been wearing ear-rings since the age of seven. The flamboyant former Fulham and Hibs forward has one in each ear now, but he used to wear a lot more.

"Everybody used to call me a girl, but then they became really fashionable and everyone wore them," he said.

"That's when I got a few more. They bought me luck and I never took them out.

"It would have been a nightmare if I'd had my old ear-rings in. They were really small and I couldn't take them out, so I wouldn't be able to play."