Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth has called on the Football League to introduce professional referees across its top four divisions.

The Premier League is currently the only of England’s professional leagues to be officiated by full-time referees and assistants.

The Championship is set to follow suit as of next season and Ainsworth, who felt his side were unfortunate to see Marcus Bean sent off in their draw against Carlisle United, believes the plans should be extended to League One and Two.

He said: “You like referees to get decisions right and be consistent. I have been harping on about them being professional for a long time now.

“It is a professional game and I think the FA and Football League have the resources to make all 92 games professionally officiated at the weekend.

“They have done it in the Premier League, and I am hoping they will do it in League One and Two soon because we need to help the referees and make them professional.”

It would be a move, Ainsworth argues, which would improve the standard of refereeing across the league and help officials focus on refereeing as a career rather than a weekend vocation.

Ainsworth explained: “They have jobs and have got other things to concentrate on outside of refereeing, so it is really tough and I sympathise with them.”

Ainsworth’s comments came after Bean had been given a debateable red card for lunging into a 50/50 challenge with Mark Ellis.

The incident drew a furious reaction from the Carlisle players who crowded around referee Tim Robinson as he made his decision.

It was a sight Ainsworth was disappointed by, but he was eager to move on from the red card which he insisted would not play a major role in the conclusion to the Blues’ season.

“We have told our players not to surround referees because you are not allowed to anymore. I don’t want to get into a tit for tat argument about anything, it does happen though and it is a tough job out in the middle,” Ainsworth said.

“A red card away at Carlisle is not going to determine our season. If we were at the top or the bottom of the league and it was a big call we would feel more aggrieved.”