Nottingham Forest have failed in their appeal against a £750,000 ($968,000) fine imposed for a social media post last season that criticised Premier League match official Stuart Attwell.
The post, published in April 2024 after a 2-0 defeat to Everton, accused Attwell, the video assistant referee for the match, of favouring Forest’s relegation rivals, Luton.
The club felt they had been denied three clear penalties during the game and expressed frustration with the refereeing decisions, stating, “Our patience has been tested multiple times.”
In response to the post, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the referees’ governing body, was mentioned in the statement. The club claimed that Attwell was a fan of Luton and suggested a bias in his officiating.
In October 2024, a regulatory commission imposed the £750,000 fine on the club, prompting Forest to appeal.
The club argued that the fine was disproportionate. However, the Football Association (FA) described the post as an “egregious, direct and public attack” on Attwell and referees in general. The FA further criticised the scale of the attack, calling it unparalleled.
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On Monday, the FA confirmed that the appeal board had upheld the original sanction, ordering the post to be taken down.
While the link to the post on social media, X, was not working on Monday, the club did not immediately confirm whether it had been removed.
The appeal board’s written reasons stated that the original commission was justified in placing considerable weight on the need for deterrence, noting that Forest had no mitigation for the post’s content.
Forest managed to avoid relegation last season, while Luton were relegated to the Championship. This season, Forest are performing well in the Premier League, sitting third in the table and challenging for a Champions League place.
