Nottingham Forest Contemplating Legal Action Against Sky Over Gary Neville’s Comments
Nottingham Forest is reportedly considering suing Sky over comments made by Gary Neville regarding the club’s statement criticizing the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after their 2-0 defeat to Everton. The club expressed their disappointment at being denied three penalties by referee Anthony Taylor, with VAR Stuart Attwell choosing not to advise the ref to review the incidents on the VAR monitor. Neville likened Forest’s statement to something a mafia gang would release, prompting the club to contemplate legal action against Sky.
Neville’s comments drew attention to the suggestion that there may have been a bias due to Attwell being a Luton fan. Mark Clattenburg, Forest’s referee analyst, described the calls as “mindboggling” and spoke to PGMOL chief Howard Webb about his concerns. However, Webb denied the request to change the VAR, leading Forest to publicly air their grievances after the defeat.
Following the match, Nottingham Forest’s official Twitter account expressed their frustration with three penalties not being given, stating that they could not accept such poor decisions. The club had previously warned PGMOL about Attwell’s alleged bias towards Luton but no changes were made. Nottingham Forest has now requested the release of audio recordings between officials during the match, advocating for transparency and upholding the integrity of the sport.
The club’s behavior in publicly questioning the integrity of match officials may lead to a fine from the Football Association (FA). Both the FA and the Premier League are set to open investigations into the matter. The Premier League emphasized that it is never appropriate to improperly question the integrity of match officials and stated that they will investigate the comments in relation to the league’s rules.
Gary Neville responded to Forest’s statement by calling for Mark Clattenburg to resign from his role at Nottingham Forest, deeming their VAR statement “embarrassing.” Neville’s comments have further fueled the controversy surrounding the incident.
Overall, Nottingham Forest’s dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions and their subsequent actions have sparked a debate about the role of VAR and the transparency of officiating in football. The potential legal action against Sky adds another layer to the ongoing saga, highlighting the growing tensions between clubs, broadcasters, and officials.