Nottingham Forest has been fined £750,000 and warned regarding their future conduct for posting comments about Stuart Attwell on social media in April. The football club had contested that the remarks did not bring the game into disrepute by suggesting bias or questioning the integrity of match officials. However, an independent regulatory commission determined the charge brought by the Football Association to be proven.
The issue stemmed from Nottingham Forest feeling they should have been awarded three penalties during a match against Everton last season. Following the game, the club took to their official social media account, expressing dissatisfaction with the decisions: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. We warned the PGMOL that the VAR (Attwell) is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options.”
In response to Forest’s request, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) granted access to the VAR audio from the game. Additionally, Forest urged PGMOL to consider “contextual” rivalries when appointing referees and VAR officials. However, the criteria for allegiances were not included when appointments were made at the start of the current season.
On the same day Forest faced charges, their referee analyst Mark Clattenburg left the club after receiving a formal warning from the FA due to his comments regarding Attwell. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo and defender Neco Williams also faced consequences for their remarks about the officiating during the Everton game. Nuno received a suspended one-match touchline ban, a £40,000 fine, and a warning for his future conduct, while Williams was warned and fined £24,000.
Nottingham Forest declined to provide a comment regarding the sanction imposed on them.