Nottingham Forest ‘could sue Sky over Gary Neville mafia insults’… as FA set to launch book at club after explosive statement, with Mark Clattenburg in hot water for Mail Sport column

Nottingham Forest are considering legal action against Sky after pundit Gary Neville branded their controversial statement following the defeat at Everton a “mafia gang”.

Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis was furious when his side were denied three penalties in the 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park, with VAR Stuart Attwell apparently opting not to send referee Anthony Taylor on his goalside monitor field to review decisions.

The club later published on X that they had alerted the PGMOL to the fact that Attwell was a fan of their relegation rivals Luton Town.

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

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

Neville branded their statement after the defeat at Everton a “mafia gang”.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was furious his team were denied three penalties at Everton

The club privately admits it acted emotionally and hastily in relation to its statement, but this is unlikely to prevent a fine from the Football Association.

The FA formally requested submissions from the club, manager Nuno Espirito Santo, player Neco Williams and Mark Clattenburg – consultant to the club’s board – following their post-match comments.

Nuno said: “If we were in another country we would start talking about conspiracy”, while Clattenburg, who was not responsible for the club’s statement, wrote in his Mail Sport column that the errors were “staggering “. It was he who first raised the club’s concerns over Attwell in a phone call with PGMOL boss Howard Webb on Friday morning.

Forest have now formally requested that VAR audio from the game be made public, “for full transparency, ensuring the integrity of our sport is upheld”. The club also wants the Premier League to reconsider its rules regarding the involvement of officials in matches that could impact the team they support. They insist their concern is about “how the integrity of the game is perceived” and “not about individuals”.

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

Webb, we are told, said he did not believe it was necessary to change the nomination and was annoyed by the suggestion. Clattenburg accepted Webb’s position, but he believed such appointments could pose a problem for the PGMOL, given that Forest and Luton are currently 17th and 18th in the Premier League. He indicated that Forest wanted Attwell to be swapped for another official.

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

“Three extremely bad decisions – three unpronounced sanctions – that we simply cannot accept,” it reads. “We warned the PGMOL that the VAR was a Luton fan before the match but they did not change it. Our patience was tested on several occasions. The NFCC will now consider their options.

PGMOL insiders claim Clattenburg did not ask for the appointment to be changed and Forest had no problem with Attwell’s involvement either. They also say the two spoke after Nuno’s press conference, during which Attwell was not mentioned. However, Nuno met the press at 1:30 p.m. and we can reveal that Webb and Clattenburg spoke at 10:30 a.m.

Nottingham Forest have officially requested that VAR audio of the match be made public

Mark Clattenburg, consultant to Forest, was asked for his observations by the FA

Sources insist that in raising concerns about Attwell’s allegiance, Forest invited Webb to review the appointment, contrary to what the PGMOL now claims. The differences intensified the feud.

In a further statement on Monday evening, Forest said: “Following yesterday’s match, the NFFC issued a statement highlighting our concern about the perception of PGMOL’s appointment of VAR for the match. This is an issue we raised with PGMOL before the match due to fear of the sideshow that could arise if something went wrong with the refereeing of the match. This fear has materialized, as the correctness of three important decisions against the club has been questioned.

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

“However, it is clear that PGMOL must modify its rule on allegiances to account for contextual rivalries in the rankings, not just local rivalries. This is currently not part of the criteria, but it should be. Simply relying on match officials to recuse themselves if contextual rivalries exist invites conjecture, as some have recused themselves where others have not.

“NFFC maintains its demand for greater transparency around PGMOL appointments to further protect the reputation of the game, as provided for in PGMOL’s current approach to allegiance. Given the widespread and continuing concerns, not only from fans, players and managers of this club, but also many others and experts about VAR decisions throughout this season, any measure that could strengthen the trust in the system must be duly considered.