Nottingham Forest Fined £750,000 For Match Official Comments After Everton Loss In April

Nottingham Forest have been fined £750,000 after the Football Association ruled the club had brought the game into disrepute for comments made following last season’s defeat to Everton.

Forest took to Twitter (now X) to question three penalty decisions which went against them at Goodison Park on 21 April.

The match finished 2-0 to Everton, leaving Forest Fuming.

Despite the club denying bringing the game into disrepute or questioning the integrity of match officials, Forest have been sanctioned after a ruling by an independent commission.

The commission added it had observed “clear evidence of a lack of genuine remorse” from Forest.

Shortly after the full-time whistle at Everton, Forest published the post below on social media.

Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept.

We warned the PGMOL that the VAR 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.

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2024

Outburst On Social Media Sees Nottingham Forest Fined

The offending post on social media read: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept.

“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR 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.”

Video Assistant Referee at Goodison Park, Stuart Attwell, said Forest’s post was “an attack on the integrity of a match official on an unparalleled scale”.

Attwell was the main ‘victim’ of what the FA have referred to as Forest’s “ill-chosen and irresponsible” outburst.

The experienced referee, 42, made history as the youngest Premier League referee ever when he debuted with the whistle in 2008.

His statement to the reviewing panel outlined the “stress, distress, fear and embarrassment” caused by Forest’s post.

Despite the ruling and a request from the FA to remove it, Forest have refused to take down the post.

During the loss at Everton last season, Forest has three penalty appeals waved away by on-field referee Anthony Taylor.

Claims for Ashley Young’s challenge on Gio Reyna, a handball and another Young tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi were all dismissed, with VAR Attwell not overturning any of the on-field decisions.

Although Nottingham Forest avoided relegation narrowly, the loss to Everton left them just one point above the drop zone at the time.