Nottingham Forest 'could sue Sky over Gary Neville's mafia slur'… while FA are set to throw book at club after bombshell statement, with Mark Clattenburg in hot water for Mail Sport column

Nottingham Forest are considering legal action against Sky after pundit Gary Neville labelled their controversial statement following defeat at Everton like that of a ‘mafia gang’.

Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis was furious when his team were denied three penalties during the 2-0 loss at Goodison Park, with VAR Stuart Attwell seemingly choosing not to send referee Anthony Taylor to his pitchside monitor to review any of the decisions.

The club then posted on X that they had warned the PGMOL about Attwell being a fan of Luton Town, their relegation rivals.

Neville said: ‘It’s like a mafia-gang statement. I mean, honestly, what the hell are they playing at? It’s like a petulant child, it’s embarrassing. And some of those things they’re saying in there, the suggestion of some sort of inferring of cheating because there’s an official in VAR in Stockley Park who’s a Luton fan is a scandal, and they will pay for that.’

Mail Sport understands Forest’s legal team are now drafting a letter to Sky concerning Neville’s comments.

The club privately accept they acted emotionally and with haste with regards to their statement, but that is unlikely to prevent a Football Association fine. 

The FA have formally requested observations from the club, manager Nuno Espirito Santo, player Neco Williams and Mark Clattenburg — a consultant to the club’s board — following their post-game comments.

Nuno said, ‘if we were in another country we will start talking about conspiracy’, while Clattenburg, who was not responsible for the club statement, wrote in his Mail Sport column that the mistakes were ‘mind-boggling’. It was he who first raised the club’s concerns over Attwell during a phone call with PGMOL boss Howard Webb on Friday morning.

Forest have now formally requested the VAR audio from the game to be released publicly, ‘for full transparency, ensuring the integrity of our sport is upheld’. The club also want the Premier League to reconsider their rules on officials being involved in games that could have an impact on the team they support. They insist their concern is about ‘how the integrity of the game is seen’ and ‘not about individuals’.

Mail Sport understands Webb told Clattenburg he would not remove Attwell from duty when they spoke on Friday. During an eight-minute conversation, Webb said he did not know that Attwell was a Luton supporter. Clattenburg explained the information was readily available online and the club had expected it to be raised at Nuno’s pre-match press conference later that day.

Webb, we are told, said he did not believe it necessary to change the appointment and was annoyed by the suggestion. Clattenburg accepted Webb’s stance but his view was that such appointments could cause an issue for the PGMOL, given Forest and Luton are currently 17th and 18th in the Premier League. He communicated that Forest wanted Attwell to be swapped for another official.

Forest were then baffled when none of the three incidents involving Everton defender Ashley Young in the penalty area were recommended for referral by Attwell, prompting the statement that has triggered an explosive fallout.

‘Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept,’ it read. ‘We 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. NFFC will now consider its options.’

PGMOL insiders claim Clattenburg did not ask for the appointment to be changed and nor did Forest have a problem with Attwell’s involvement. They also say the pair spoke after Nuno’s press conference, in which Attwell was not mentioned. However, Nuno met the press at 1.30pm and we can reveal Webb and Clattenburg spoke at 10.30am.

Sources insist that in raising their concern over Attwell’s allegiance, Forest invited Webb to review the appointment, contrary to what the PGMOL now claim. The discrepancies have intensified the row.

In a fresh statement on Monday night, Forest said: ‘Following yesterday’s match, NFFC issued a statement highlighting our concern at the perception of the PGMOL appointment of VAR for the game. This was an issue we raised with PGMOL prior to the fixture because of the fear of the sideshow that would ensue if anything went wrong with officiating in the game. That fear has materialised, as the correctness of three important decisions against the club have been called into doubt.

‘This is not about individuals but rather how the integrity of the game is seen. We know match officials do not allow outside factors to influence their decision-making and that all referees are required to declare their “allegiances” to PGMOL to avoid any perceived conflict or harm to the game’s reputation for integrity.

‘However, it is clear PGMOL must amend its rule on allegiances to account for contextual rivalries in the league table, not just local rivalries. This is currently not within the criteria but should be. Mere reliance on match officials to recuse themselves if contextual rivalries exist invites conjecture, as some have recused themselves where others have not.

‘NFFC stands by its request for greater transparency around PGMOL appointments to further protect the game’s reputation, as intended in PGMOL’s existing approach to allegiances. Given the widespread and ongoing concerns, not merely of the fans, players and managers of this club but of many others and the pundits over VAR decisions throughout this season, any move which boosts confidence in the system should be properly considered.’