Nottingham Forest’s refereeing consultant, Mark Clattenburg, has responded to Gary Neville’s call for his resignation following the club’s contentious statement after their disappointing 2-0 loss to Everton on Sunday.
The match at Goodison Park was crucial in the relegation battle, with goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil securing a vital win for Sean Dyche’s side. However, this defeat leaves Nottingham Forest just one point above the relegation zone, with Luton Town in 18th place, and only four games remaining to maintain their Premier League status.
However, the match on Merseyside was not without controversy, as Forest found themselves on the wrong end of three contentious penalty decisions. Despite the incidents, referee Anthony Taylor chose not to award any penalties to Forest. Following the game, the club released a statement on social media platform X (previously Twitter), expressing their frustration. The statement seemed to direct their anger at VAR official Stuart Atwell, accusing him of bias by stating that he is “a Luton Town fan.”
The statement issued by Nottingham Forest read: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept.
“We alerted the PGMOL that the VAR official is a Luton fan before the game, but they chose not to replace him. Our patience has been tested repeatedly. NFFC will now explore its available options.”
The statement from Nottingham Forest has sparked widespread disbelief and condemnation within the football community, with many labeling it as an embarrassment.
Sky Sports pundit Neville was among those left stunned by Nottingham Forest’s statement, expressing his belief that the comments do not reflect well on the club.
Gary Neville demands Mark Clattenburg resigns
Neville minced no words regarding Clattenburg’s perceived involvement in the statement, expressing his strong opinion. “Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight,” Neville stated on Sky Sports. “If he saw those words questioning the integrity of a referee and accusing someone of supporting another club as a cheat, then he’s endorsing what’s being said. He would lose all credibility with referees in the game. He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement.”
Neville criticized the statement as akin to a petulant child and deemed it embarrassing. He suggested that while it’s understandable to address poor officiating, the approach could have been different, with the manager or captain providing a more impactful response at the end of the game.
Neville further elaborated on his stance, suggesting that while managers can express their frustration with refereeing decisions verbally, issuing written statements from the club crosses a line. He emphasized that Nottingham Forest’s recent behavior, particularly in the last few weeks, lacks class despite being a historically esteemed club. Neville recalled a time when Forest’s actions reflected values and principles, which he feels are now not being upheld.
Forest statement labelled ‘horrendous’
Neville persisted in his critique, describing the day as horrendous for Nottingham Forest, not just because of the disputed decisions but also due to their reaction. He highlighted the mention of the VAR official as a Luton fan, insinuating that it influenced the decision-making process and possibly implying cheating. Neville cautioned against such implications, deeming them as venturing into dangerous territory.
Neville expressed frustration with Nottingham Forest’s mention of exploring all options, likening it to a similar sentiment expressed by Liverpool after a contentious offside decision against Tottenham. He questioned the meaning behind such statements and criticized the trend of clubs believing they can explore various options, including legal action or demanding point restitution, which he deemed unrealistic.
He emphasized that unless there is concrete evidence of wrongdoing, such actions are futile. Neville voiced disappointment not only for Forest’s players and fans but also for the club itself, condemning the way they’ve handled the situation. He characterized their tweet as horrendous and predicted regret for the club. Neville suggested that someone within the club is driving this cultural behavior of reacting to poor decisions in such a manner, which he believes is inappropriate.
Clattenburg hits back and defends Forest statement
Clattenburg, on the other hand, recently conducted an interview with the Daily Mail, asserting his belief that accountability is necessary for what he perceives as three highly controversial decisions.
Branding the decisions as a “joke,” Clattenburg delivered a strongly-worded response. “One of these errors would have been bad enough. Three was a joke, and that is why Nottingham Forest were left feeling victimized after another defeat in which zero big decisions went their way,” he began.
He continued, expressing disappointment with the handling of the situations: “These situations were precisely why video technology was brought into the Premier League, and yet Attwell did not send Taylor to his monitor. Not once. It was a hat-trick of howlers from the refereeing team and, unfortunately for Forest, a continuation of an unjust trend that has hampered their survival fight.”
The former Premier League referee emphasized that the VAR should have intervened to overrule Taylor’s decisions, expressing the need for questions to be raised.
“I would not have allowed this situation to unfold if I were in charge of the referees, and all of this could have been prevented if the PGMOL had made wiser appointments,” he asserted. “Referees don’t make mistakes intentionally, but watching this was truly baffling. Why Attwell chose not to instruct Taylor to review the incidents on the screen, only he knows.”
Forest’s upcoming fixtures include a home match against Manchester City at the City Ground, followed by an away trip to face fellow strugglers Sheffield United. Their remaining matches are against Chelsea at home and Burnley away, concluding their season.