The Football Association Fines Forest Over Controversial Post

The Football Association (FA) fined Nottingham Forest £750,000 for a social media post last season that attacked the integrity of a match official. Forest made the post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing video assistant referee (VAR) Stuart Attwell of being a fan of Luton Town and criticizing three penalty decisions during their 2-0 defeat to Everton in April.

The FA described the post as an “unparalleled” attack on a referee’s integrity and an independent commission found no evidence of remorse from the club, ruling in favor of the FA’s charge. The commission identified Attwell as the clear victim of the “ill-chosen and irresponsible” post. Although Forest denied questioning the officials’ integrity or bringing the game into disrepute, the commission disagreed, highlighting the stress and distress Attwell experienced.

Despite Forest claiming that they had written the post hastily and without enough care, the commission issued a warning and imposed the fine. Initially, the FA sought a fine exceeding £1 million but the independent panel reduced the amount to £750,000. Forest responded by expressing disappointment with the ruling, calling the fine “disproportionate,” and confirming their intent to appeal the decision.

Forest’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo and defender Neco Williams also faced sanctions for their comments about the officiating in the Everton match leading to fines and warnings. The Football Association (FA) charged Nuno again in September after he received a red card during a match against Brighton. As Forest continues their Premier League campaign, they currently sit 10th in the table and will face Crystal Palace on 21 October.