Nottingham Forest are set to appeal the recent sanction imposed by the FA, which has seen the club fined £750,000. The penalty stems from comments they made on social media regarding VAR official Stuart Attwell in April, which the Football Association deemed as bringing the game into disrepute by insinuating bias against the club.
During the previous season, Nottingham Forest believed they should have been awarded three penalties in a defeat against Everton, leading them to express their frustrations publicly. Their social media post provocatively suggested that the VAR official held a bias, hinting at Luton Town allegiances: “We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him.” Such statements have evidently raised eyebrows within the governing bodies of the sport.
An independent regulatory commission ultimately substantiated the FA’s charge against the club, identifying that the assertions made could undermine confidence in match officials and the integrity of officiating in the league. Nottingham Forest, however, are not backing down and plan to contest the decision, asserting that their comments were misinterpreted by the authorities.
A club statement read: “Nottingham Forest Football Club is extremely disappointed with the decision of the regulatory commission to impose a £750,000 fine in relation to comments posted on social media following our Premier League fixture against Everton on Sunday 21 April.
“We are particularly concerned that the FA, in its submissions, sought a sanction ‘in excess of £1m’. We believe that this request, along with the subsequent fine, is wholly disproportionate and the club will be appealing the decision.”
Last season was particularly challenging for Forest as they engaged in a fierce relegation battle with Luton Town. Ultimately, Forest managed to remain in the Premier League, while Luton faced relegation. At the time the charge was issued, the club was still navigating the emotional aftermath of a tumultuous season compounded by what they viewed as questionable officiating.
The club has also requested access to the VAR audio from that contentious Everton encounter, a demand that was met by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), suggesting a willingness to shed light on the decision-making process. Additionally, Forest urged that “contextual” rivalries be factored into the refereeing assignments for matches, a perspective they believe would lead to fairer officiating. However, this suggestion was overlooked when PGMOL released their criteria for match official appointments at the beginning of the current season.
But the scrutiny did not just fall on the club’s social media activities. Mark Clattenburg, Forest’s referee analyst, departed from the club on the same day the charge was issued, having received a formal warning from the FA regarding his comments about Attwell’s performance. This reflects broader tensions and the high stakes involved in officiating within the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the club’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, and defender Neco Williams also found themselves in hot water due to their remarks concerning the officiating during the Everton game. Nuno was handed a suspended one-match touchline ban alongside a £40,000 fine, while Williams received a warning and a fine totaling £24,000. The cumulative nature of these sanctions highlights the FA’s strong stance on maintaining respect toward match officials and the integrity of the game. As Nottingham Forest prepares to challenge their penalty, the ongoing dialogue around VAR and officiating standards in football remains at the forefront of discussions within the sport.
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