Nottingham forest issued a punishment? Evangelos Marinakis might by the spike edge after latest EPL City Ground match official incidence.
On October 14, Nottingham Forest was fined £750,000 by the Football Association (FA) for an “attack on the integrity of a match official on an unparalleled scale” due to a social media post made last season.
The club refuted allegations of questioning officials’ integrity or damaging the game’s reputation, announcing plans to appeal the decision and labeling the FA’s recommendation for a minimum £1 million fine as “wholly inappropriate.”
An independent commission ruled against Forest, noting a “clear evidence of a lack of genuine remorse” and identifying referee Stuart Attwell as the “victim” of the “ill-chosen and irresponsible” post.
The fine followed Forest’s social media statement, which suggested bias and questioned the integrity of match officials. Although Forest denied the allegations, the FA’s findings were upheld, and the club received a warning regarding future conduct.
The controversial post was made after a match on April 21 between Forest and Luton, where the club criticized the non-awarding of three penalties and mentioned that they had alerted the PGMOL about Attwell being a Luton fan. They stated, “Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options.”
In a recent statement, Forest expressed concern over the FA’s request for a sanction “in excess of £1,000,000,” arguing that both this request and the resulting fine were disproportionate.
The club acknowledged that the post was poorly constructed and lacked clarity. The independent panel criticized Forest for their irresponsible behavior, described their approach as “cavalier,” and noted their failure to retract the post or apologize. Comments from owner Evangelos Marinakis regarding a potential “vendetta” by officials were also taken into account. Referees chief Howard Webb warned that such posts could foster referee abuse and undermine their integrity.