Premier League: Nottingham Forrest get access to VAR footage of controversial games at Everton

The affair caused a stir this Sunday across the Channel. In a very important game to stay in the Premier League (PL), Nottingham Forrest (17th and first non-relegation) were beaten 2-0 at Everton. The East Midlands side did not appreciate Anthony Taylor’s refereeing as penalties should have been awarded in their favour. Forest also indicate that the referee in charge of VAR would be a supporter of Luton (18th and first relegation). A club in direct competition with Nottingham in the battle for maintenance.

“Three extremely bad decisions – three penalties not awarded – which we simply cannot accept,” the club wrote on X (formerly Twitter). We had warned PGMOL (the body responsible for refereeing English professional football matches, editor’s note) that the VAR referee was a Luton fan before the game, but they did not change it. Our patience was tested several times. The club will now consider its options. »

From Monday, Nottingham Forrest asked for the recording of conversations between video assistant referee Stuart Attwell and on-field referee Anthony Taylor to be released. Sources close to the refereeing body said the body had nothing to hide and would give Forest the opportunity to listen to the recording in private, as it would make a similar request.

This was also the case a little earlier in the season: a goal wrongly denied to Luis Diaz for Liverpool during a game at Tottenham had been publicized, but in this case there had been a serious miscommunication and the matter was therefore handled differently. For this, Nottingham Forest could again be sanctioned by the FA and PL for reacting violently to these alleged injustices after being penalized 4 points last month for breaching PL financial rules.

In addition, the managers said in a statement on Sunday that they had warned the PGMOL that the assistant referee was a Luton fan, but that the body had not changed his appointment until they asked for the player’s allegiance rules to be changed in relation to the teams they support of, is updated to take into account “contextual rivalries in the championship table. » With 4 days to go, Nottingham Forrest are one step ahead of Luton and three ahead of Burnley. Sheffield United (20th) is almost doomed.