Nottingham Forest criticised for VAR outburst

Nottingham Forest’s response to controversial penalty decisions during their recent Premier League defeat at Everton has stirred up criticism from former players and referees. The loss has left Forest in 17th place in the standings, just one point above relegation-threatened Luton Town.

Forest expressed their frustration at being denied three penalty claims and issued a statement on social media platform X, accusing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Stuart Attwell of being a Luton fan. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who now works for Forest as a referee analyst, heavily criticized the decisions, labeling them as a “joke.”

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.

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— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2024

Gary Neville, a former Manchester United defender, called for Clattenburg’s resignation from his position at Forest, arguing that his comments questioning the integrity of a referee and accusing someone of being a cheat for supporting another club were unacceptable and embarrassing.

Former English referees chief Keith Hackett acknowledged Forest’s frustration with the decisions but suggested that they could have handled the situation better. He indicated that while expressing concerns and disappointment is valid, there are more appropriate ways to do so.

The incident highlights the contentious nature of refereeing decisions in football and the importance of maintaining professionalism and decorum in addressing such issues.