Reportedly, Nottingham Forest has taken legal action against Sky Sports following the network’s coverage of the club’s reaction to their defeat against Everton.
In the aftermath of Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Everton last month, the club took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the appointment of Stuart Atwell as the Video Assistant Referee for the match. Their concern stemmed from Atwell’s purported ties to Luton Town. Throughout the game, Nottingham Forest had three penalty appeals dismissed by VAR, prompting the club to voice their grievances. However, Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United star Gary Neville criticized the club’s assertion, referring to it as a ‘mafia-gang statement.’
During Sky’s post-match broadcast, Gary Neville vehemently criticized Nottingham Forest’s statement, likening it to a ‘mafia gang statement.’ He expressed disbelief at the club’s choice of words, labeling their remarks as petulant and embarrassing. While acknowledging the challenges Forest has faced with officiating decisions throughout the season, Neville emphasized the detrimental impact of their response.
Neville suggested alternative ways for Forest to address their grievances, such as voicing concerns about the quality of officiating after the match. He highlighted the importance of the manager and captain serving as spokespersons to convey dissatisfaction constructively. However, Neville condemned Forest’s decision to attribute bias to the VAR official based on his alleged support for Luton Town, warning that such insinuations could lead to dangerous territory.
Regarding Mark Clattenburg, Neville called for his immediate resignation if he was aware of Forest’s statement questioning the integrity of the referee and implying bias. Neville argued that Clattenburg’s association with such remarks would undermine his credibility and integrity as a referee, urging him to distance himself from Forest’s statement by resigning from his position.
According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest has taken legal action against Sky Sports following Gary Neville’s comments regarding Mark Clattenburg, who recently resigned from his role at the club. Neville’s remarks apparently prompted Nottingham to send a legal letter to Sky Sports. Additionally, it’s reported that Sky Sports removed an article from their website containing Neville’s statement about Clattenburg’s resignation following receipt of Nottingham’s legal letter.
The outcome of Nottingham’s legal action against Sky Sports remains uncertain. The club’s next match is against Chelsea on May 11, where they aim to widen the gap between themselves and Luton Town in the standings.