Throughout the Premier League season, Nottingham Forest has been vocal about their dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions that they believe have been detrimental to their results. The club’s patience snapped after a series of controversial incidents, culminating in a fiery statement following their defeat to Everton.
A contentious red card shown to Joe Worrall in August’s match against Manchester United left Forest fuming. The club felt that Worrall’s foul on Bruno Fernandes did not warrant a straight red, especially considering Willy Boly was in a position to cover. A subsequent penalty awarded to United for minimal contact between Danilo and Marcus Rashford further enraged Forest.
In December, Forest was denied a penalty when Ryan Yates was pulled down in the box by Abdoulaye Doucoure during their match against Everton. The referee’s on-field decision was upheld by VAR, leaving Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp baffled and calling it a ‘blatant foul.’
Willy Boly’s second yellow card against Bournemouth in December was another source of frustration for Forest. The defender appeared to win the ball cleanly before making contact with Adam Smith, but referee Rob Jones’ decision to send him off stood as VAR cannot scrutinize yellow cards.
Ivan Toney’s return to the Premier League was marked by controversy when he repositioned the referee’s foam to gain an advantage during a free-kick against Forest in January. The referee failed to notice, and VAR was unable to intervene, leaving Nuno Espirito Santo lamenting the ‘clear case of ball displacement.’
A missed penalty appeal in February’s match against Newcastle further irked Forest. Taiwo Awoniyi went down under the challenge of Martin Dubravka, but the referee waved away appeals, and VAR upheld the decision.
Forest’s match against West Ham in February saw Neco Williams hacked down in the box by Maxwel Cornet, but no penalty was awarded. The incident prompted Forest to appoint Mark Clattenburg as their refereeing analyst, but the frustrations continued.
In March, Forest was incensed after referee Paul Tierney handed the ball to Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher when the game was stopped for an injury to Ibrahim Konate. Just over a minute later, Darwin Nunez scored the winning goal, leaving Forest feeling aggrieved.
The club’s anger reached a boiling point in April after a series of questionable decisions against them in their match against Everton. Ashley Young’s tackle on Giovanni Reyna and a potential handball in the box went unpunished, leading Forest to release a strongly worded statement that brought the league briefly to a standstill.
Forest’s grievances have not been limited to one referee. They have expressed concerns about decisions made by Stuart Attwell, Paul Tierney, Rob Jones, Anthony Taylor, Thomas Bramall, Simon Hooper, and Darren England throughout the season.
The club’s outspokenness has drawn criticism, but they maintain that they have been unfairly treated and deserve better officiating. Forest will hope that the league takes their concerns seriously and improves the standard of refereeing in the Premier League.
