- Nottingham Forest have been fined £750,000 by the Football Association
- The fine relates to a social media tirade by the club after a defeat last season
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Nottingham Forest have been handed an eye-watering £750,000 fine for an explosive post on X last spring and have immediately declared their intention to appeal.
The club caused widespread controversy when they questioned the appointment of Stuart Attwell as VAR after a 2-0 defeat at Everton last April and hinted at further action.
Now in a stunning verdict the Forest have been ordered to pay a huge penalty for their post. An independent commission claimed ‘clear evidence of a lack of genuine remorse’ from the club, who have said the FA ‘sought a sanction of ‘in excess of £1,000,000′.’
Forest denied they had questioned the integrity of officials or brought the game into disrepute.
Forest’s social media post was made around five minutes after full-time in last season’s match at Goodison Park.
Nottingham Forest have been hit with a £750,000 find after an extraordinary social media tirade last season
The social media post was made around five minutes after full-time in April’s loss to Everton
Forest issued an incendiary statement in the wake of their 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park
‘Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept,’ the club wrote on X. ‘Our patience has been tested multiple times.’ The post added that Forest had ‘warned’ referees’ chiefs that Attwell was a Luton supporter.
Forest’s 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 £1,000,000′. We believe that this request, along with the subsequent fine, is wholly disproportionate and the Club will be appealing the decision.’
In July, Forest received an apology from Sky Sports following comments made by pundit Gary Neville after the Everton game.
Neville likened Forest’s actions to those of a ‘mafia gang’, with club owner Evangelos Marinakis confirming to Mail Sport that his lawyers had ‘been in contact with Sky regarding Neville and this is not over yet.
The result had left Forest in a perilous position in the Premier League table though they later secured their survival
‘The comments and words he used were inappropriate, didn’t correspond with reality and harmed people.’
A statement posted on Sky Sports’ website on July 5 read: ‘In response to a Nottingham Forest statement outlining their grievances with PGMOL following their match with Everton on 21 April Gary Neville, commenting on Super Sunday, strongly criticised Nottingham Forest’s approach.
‘Sky Sports have discussed with Gary the language used and its potential to cause offence.
‘Gary has agreed not to use the same or similar terms in future coverage. Sky Sports apologises to Nottingham Forest for any offence caused by this language.’
