Achi news desk-
NOTTINGHAM FOREST have launched legal proceedings against Sky Sports after the broadcaster’s coverage of a social media post questioning the appointment of a match official.
It comes after Sky commentator Gary Neville hit out at the club for their statement criticizing the PGMOL following the 2-0 defeat to Everton.
1
After the final whistle, Forest’s official Twitter account posted: “Three very poor decisions – three missed penalties – that we simply cannot accept.
“We warned PGMOL that the VAR was a Luton fan before the game but they did not change it. Our patience has been tested several times. NFFC will now consider their options.”
They cast doubt on Stuart Atwell’s appointment and would later release another statement which read: “Nottingham Forest have today made a formal request to PGMOL to release into the public domain the audio recordings between officials during yesterday’s game against Everton at Goodison Park.
“The club asked to share it in three key match events – Ashley Young’s challenge on Giovanni Reina (24th minute), Ashley Young’s handball (44th minute) and Ashley Young’s challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi (56th minute).
“We strongly advocate that the wider football community and supporters have access to the audio and transcript for full transparency, to ensure the integrity of our sport is maintained.”
This led Neville to liken the statement to something a mafia gang would issue, which we revealed led to Forrest considering legal action.
Now the “Daily Mail” states that “they started legal proceedings”.
They reported that Sky Sports also “took the decision to remove an article from their website on Friday evening in which Neville appears to have retracted comments calling for former referee Mark Clattenburg to resign from his position at the City Ground following the controversial statement”.
The best free bet signup offers for a bookmaker in the UKS
Clattenburg did leave the club this week.
However, the Mail says “Sky Sports insists the decision to pull the piece was purely an editorial decision and not related to any ongoing legal matter”.
Following the post, which has been viewed 45 million times, Neville said: “Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight.
“If he saw these words coming out questioning the integrity of a referee and claiming that someone is a fraud for supporting another club then he supports what was said.
“He will lose all credibility with referees in the game. He needs to stand up tonight and distance himself from that statement.
“It’s like a mob statement. I mean, honestly, what the hell are they playing? It’s like a petulant child, it’s embarrassing.
“And some of the things they’re saying there, the suggestion of some inference of cheating because there’s a VAR official at Stokely Park who’s a Luton fan is a scandal, and they’ll pay for it.”
Following the news that Atwell had retired, Neville said on Sky Sports on Friday: “I’m not surprised at all. I thought after the statement that Nottingham Forest made, I don’t think any of us are asking people to resign.
“We don’t do that, obviously we are critical sometimes because that is the position we are in. But asking people to resign is a very serious step and a serious step.”
An article titled “Gary Neville: Mark Clattenburg resignation no surprise – ‘Forest made his job unbearable'” subsequently appeared on the Sky Sports website.
But it has since been removed from the site.
What did Nottingham Forest say?
After the final whistle against Everton, Nottingham Forest’s official Twitter account tweeted: “Three very poor decisions – three missed penalties – that we simply cannot accept.
“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR was a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change it. Our patience was tested several times.
“NFFC will now consider its options.”
On Monday, the club revealed that they had asked the PGMOL to release the audio recordings between officials during the match.
The statement read: “Nottingham Forest have today made a formal request to PGMOL to release into the public domain the audio recordings between officials during yesterday’s match against Everton at Goodison Park.
“The club asked to share it in three key match events – Ashley Young’s challenge on Giovanni Reina (24th minute), Ashley Young’s handball (44th minute) and Ashley Young’s challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi (56th minute).
“We strongly advocate that the wider football community and supporters have access to the audio and transcript for full transparency, while ensuring the integrity of our sport is preserved.”
