Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major blow after their appeal against a £750,000 ($968,000) fine for criticizing referee Stuart Attwell on social media was rejected. The club’s appeal, filed in hopes of reducing the penalty, was turned down by an appeal board on Monday.
The controversy stems from a social media post published by Forest last April, following their 2-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League. The club had expressed frustration over what they believed were three clear penalty decisions denied during the match. The post also included accusations that Attwell, who was the video assistant referee (VAR) for the game, was a fan of their relegation rivals Luton Town. Forest added that their “patience had been tested” by repeated officiating issues.
In response, a regulatory commission hit Forest with a £750,000 fine in October, with the club quickly announcing their intention to appeal. They argued that the fine was excessive and unfair. However, the Football Association (FA) chara Football Association (FA) cterized the post as an “egregious, direct and public attack” on Attwell, emphasizing the broader impact it had on undermining the integrity of referees.
On Monday, the FA confirmed that the appeal board had upheld the original fine and also ordered that the post be removed. Although the link to the post on X (formerly Twitter) was no longer working, the club has yet to confirm whether it was officially taken down. The appeal board’s written statement highlighted the “lack of mitigation” from Forest, stating that the original commission was right to place significant weight on the need for deterrence against such conduct.
The fine comes at a time when Forest are performing well in the Premier League, currently sitting third in the table and fighting for a coveted Champions League spot. Meanwhile, their relegation rivals, Luton, were sent down to the Championship last season.
While Forest managed to avoid relegation, this costly fine is a reminder of the growing consequences for clubs who publicly criticize referees and match officials.
