Nottingham Forest has been fined £750,000 by the Football Association for what was described as an “unprecedented attack on the integrity of a match official” following a social media post made last season.
The club had alleged on social media platform X that VAR official Stuart Attwell was a supporter of Luton Town, a team also fighting relegation at the time, after three penalty decisions went against them during a 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Everton on April 21.
While Forest denied questioning the integrity of officials or bringing the game into disrepute, an independent commission ruled against the club.
The commission noted a “lack of genuine remorse” from Forest and identified Attwell as the “clear victim” of the “ill-advised and irresponsible” post.
In addition to the fine, the panel also issued a warning to the club regarding their conduct.
Forest has stated their intention to appeal, calling the fine “disproportionate.”
What happened?
Nottingham Forest posted a highly critical message on X just five minutes after full-time in their April match at Goodison Park, which left them just one point above the relegation zone at the time.
The match was marked by controversy, with Forest frustrated by referee Anthony Taylor’s dismissal of three penalty appeals, including one in which Everton’s Ashley Young handled the ball near the end of the first half and another when Young clashed with Callum Hudson-Odoi as he charged towards goal.
The Key Match Incident Panel, an independent body that reviews decisions after each round of Premier League fixtures, later determined that Forest should have been awarded a penalty for Young’s challenge on Hudson-Odoi in the 55th minute.
Forest also claimed they had “warned” the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) that the VAR, Stuart Attwell, was a fan of Luton Town, but no changes were made.
“Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept,” the club posted on X , on 21 April.
“Our patience has been tested multiple times.”
Although they did not name the official, the VAR was Attwell.
Forest were charged by the FA, who sought a fine in excess of £1m over the club’s “egregious, direct and public attack”.
The written reasons for the ruling confirmed that Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer of PGMOL, and Mark Clattenburg, then a referee analyst employed by Forest, did discuss the fact that Attwell was a Luton fan during a call on 19 April – two days before the match.
However, the commission says it was “common ground” between the parties that no representations or requests were made to change the VAR for the match.
Attwell gave a statement to the panel which described the “stress, distress, fear and embarrassment caused to him” as a result of the post.
The panel found the impact on the official had “plainly been very significant,” adding: “To Stuart Attwell, the harm has continued well beyond the short period contended for by NFFC.”
Everton’s win over Forest moved them five points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand on Luton, with Forest in deep trouble, only a point ahead of the Hatters.
In the end, both Forest and Everton stayed up while Luton went down.
Clattenburg left his position at Forest on the day the club were charged by the FA, having been given a formal warning himself.