Boothroyd hit by FA charge

The Football Association have charged Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd with abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Stuart Attwell during Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship match against Reading.

Boothroyd was sent from the technical area during the match, notorious for the award of a 13th-minute goal to the Royals when linesman Nigel Bannister farcically flagged for a goal instead of a corner.

Despite not a single Reading player appealing for the 'goal' 25-year-old referee Attwell awarded the goal.

Boothroyd admitted after the game, which finished 2-2: "I've never seen anything like it. It's like a UFO landing, a mistake like that.

"I've been to see the referee and in fairness he's only going on what the linesman says. He's working in a team and if someone comes in his ear telling him it's a goal then I suppose he's got to give it.

"I thought it was a goal-kick. What do you say to that? It was a strange sort of feeling because I was trying to calm my team down and get them going but all I could think was 'what was that for?'."

Boothroyd has until 10 October to respond to the charge.

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