YEOVIL TOWN striker Paul Warne believes common sense has to be brought back into football following last week's extraordinary controversy during Watford's match with Reading.

Linesman Nigel Bannister flagged for a goal even though a deflected Reading shot bounced well wide of the posts.

And in a further twist, Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd was this week charged with aiming abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Stuart Attwell.

That move has been widely condemned across football and Warne is calling for free speech throughout the sport.

He said: "We live in an open society – you can say most things you like. But I can't believe in an interview you can't say a referee had a stinker. Why can't someone say that? It might not be right, but that is his opinion.

"Fans and journalists can say 'Paul Warne was horrendous today' and I haven't got a problem with that if that's the truth.

"I think referees and linesmen should come out and answer for their actions because if not people get frustrated, and come the end of the season, if Watford don't go up by one point, it will have massive ramifications.

"If I saw that sort of thing in a game my boy was playing in I would lose my head. I would be disgusted.

"The refs have got these earpieces in and they communicate all the time. What is the fourth official doing?

"There has got to be common sense. If the ref had stopped the game and spoken to the other linesman or the fourth official they would have said 'no way'."

Warne believes Bannister should not be allowed to officiate in the Football League again.

"I have never seen anything as ridiculous as that. Obviously everyone makes mistakes but that was beyond reproach," he said. "I can't see how he can run a line in a professional game again. I know it sounds harsh, but it wasn't even close to being in.

"I cannot see what he has seen. Come the end of the season, if that point makes a big difference then heads have got to roll because of it, unfortunately."

Warne rejects the idea that Reading should have allowed Watford to equalise from the kick-off.

Yeovil, of course, did a similar thing when Lee Johnson scored by mistake when trying to pass a ball back to the Plymouth goalkeeper four years ago. They received plenty of plaudits for doing so at the time, but it was during a League Cup tie and not a league game.

"If you ask businessmen to make a decision like that or one to make money they are going to make money," said Warne.

"The goal is given and people say Reading should let Watford score, but it isn't really their fault. I know it is a gentlemanly thing to do but football isn't about making friends and having a laugh on a Saturday morning like it was when you were eight. It is business.

"I have got no sympathy with officials. They put themselves up for the job and they are happy to laugh and joke when they think things are funny but it isn't funny when you are playing."

Warne backed the Football League's decision not to replay the game but believes officials should be made more accountable for their actions.

"I don't think you can replay games becuase if that happens it is just going to go on and on and on," he said.

"My personal view is refs and linesmen aren't answerable for their mistakes. We are – we have to speak to the press and we have the gaffer dropping us – whereas the ref can come to a game and have an absolute stinkbomb and know they are still in work next Saturday.

"Publicly they don't have to come out and say anything. My personal view is you shouldn't get two or three strikes because everyone is playing for their livelihoods. It isn't a bit of fun on a Sunday morning."

This afternoon Yeovil travel to face a Scunthorpe United side who are looking for a seventh straight win.

But both of the Glovers' victories have been on their travels.

Warne said: "I don't think we have been that abysmal, we just haven't scored when we have had the chances. We just need to take them and defend better and we should be all right.

"There haven't been that many games where all 11 of us have played to the best of our ability, and we just need to get that together to move on."

Yeovil will travel to Leicester City on Tuesday, November 11 (7.45pm). The Walkers Stadium game was set for a fortnight today but was postponed because the Foxes have three international call-ups.

Yeovil Town (from): Begovic, Peltier, Forbes, Skiverton, Smith, Downes, Way, Roberts, Schofield, Welsh, Warne, Brown, Jones, Murtagh, McCollin, Alcock, Wagenaar, Dayton.