Mark Clattenburg, the former Premier League referee, has stepped down from his role as a referee analyst at Nottingham Forest. In a statement released through the club’s official website, Clattenburg admitted that he had become “more of a hindrance than a help” to the club and that his presence had caused unintended friction with other clubs.
Clattenburg’s time at Nottingham Forest was marred by two major controversies. The first incident occurred in a match against Liverpool, where he spoke out about a drop ball incident. The second controversy arose from his criticism of the officiating in Forest’s game against Everton on April 21. These incidents led to the Football Association requesting Clattenburg’s observations on his comments regarding the officials in the Everton match.
In his statement, Clattenburg expressed his pride in providing services to Nottingham Forest under a consultancy agreement. He stated that he had hoped to use his extensive experience as a match official to help the club understand how decisions regarding key match incidents are made in relation to VAR. However, he acknowledged that the existence and performance of these consultancy services had caused friction between Nottingham Forest and other participants in the game.
Clattenburg also mentioned that he had been personally targeted by certain participants and pundits, which was an unexpected and regrettable outcome. Despite this, he still believed that there is a place for and value in such a role in the modern game.
When Clattenburg was initially appointed, club sources expressed hope that he could serve as a “conduit” between Nottingham Forest and the referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). This appointment was seen as a pioneering move in English football, as it was the first of its kind.
Although Clattenburg’s time at Nottingham Forest did not go as planned, the club expressed gratitude for his services and wished him well for the future. It remains to be seen if other clubs will follow in Forest’s footsteps and appoint referee analysts to facilitate better communication between clubs and officials.