Premier League

Premier League: Nottingham Forest loses appeal against fine over social media posts targeting VAR last season

An independent appeal board has dismissed Nottingham Forest’s appeal against a 750,000 pound (USD 969,525) fine imposed on the Premier League club over social media posts criticising a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) last season, the FA said on Monday.

Forest was angered at being denied three penalty claims in a 2-0 loss at Everton last April, and minutes after the game they posted on X saying VAR Stuart Attwell was a fan of Luton Town, which was a rival in the battle to avoid relegation.

Although Forest denied that the posts implied any bias or questioned the integrity of the match officials, it was fined and issued a warning for misconduct by an independent commission in October.

Forest appealed the decision, calling the fine “disproportionate.”

“The appeal board dismissed a subsequent appeal by Nottingham Forest FC in relation to both liability and sanction, and it has also ordered the club to remove the social media post,” the FA said in a statement on Monday.

Forest, which was docked four points for breaching the league’s financial rules, avoided relegation after finishing 17th. Luton, which finished 18th, was relegated.

This season, Forest has fared better as it sits third in the standings before visiting Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *