April 22 – Following their 2-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest made the extraordinary accusation that the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] was biased against them as they tried to push out of their relegation dogfight.
The Trentside club felt aggrieved after referee Anthony Taylor denied three strong penalty appeals.
After the match Forest turned to social media, saying that VAR official Stuart Attwell’s alleged support for fellow relegation battlers Luton Town may have influenced the decisions.
At present, Luton Town sit one point behind Nottingham Forest in 18th place.
In a post on X, Forest claimed that they “warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.”
The club finished the statement saying that they will consider their options.
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo backed the bizarre statement post-match.
“Yes I share the view because I saw the images,” he said.
“When we go back to the dressing room, we have access to the images and you can see it so clearly and you don’t understand why the decisions were against us.
“I think the situation with Gio Reyna in the first half is a clear one, the handball we can ask if it’s not but the ball goes to Chris Wood and there is another incident with Ashley Young.
“I share the feeling of the club because it’s not only this game, it’s been a while that we’ve had poor decisions against us. It’s not an excuse but we are not comfortable with the work of the referees.”
Specifically regarding VAR, Espirito Santo said: “I’m aware of the complaint, that the club was not comfortable with the VAR. It is not important if he is a fan of another club or not, that’s not important.
“The VAR referees are sitting down in a chair, they have time to assess the images. We would like to understand why we are always on the end of bad decisions.”
After reading the statement, ex-Liverpool defender turned TV pundit Jamie Carragher blasted Forest live on Sky Sports.
“It tells you where we are with the Premier League right now and the clubs.
“Stuart Attwell and Anthony Taylor have had a horrific day today, awful, and they should be rightly criticised for that.
“It could have real implications for Nottingham Forest, [so] I get the frustration. But that, what I’ve just read there on social media, that’s like a fan in a pub. That is embarrassing from Nottingham Forest.
“I get the frustration, but that rubbish, that the VAR is a Luton fan – they can’t get involved in that. You’ve got to show a little bit of class as a football club.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1713950386labto1713950386ofdlr1713950386owedi1713950386sni@g1713950386niwe.1713950386yrrah1713950386