"Nottingham Forest Contemplates Legal Action Against Sky Sports Following Gary Neville's Remarks"

Nottingham Forest is reportedly contemplating legal action against Sky Sports following pundit Gary Neville's comparison of their criticism of Premier League officials during their defeat to Everton to a "mafia gang statement."

After their 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Everton on Sunday, Forest voiced their grievances on social media, alleging they were denied three penalties by referee Anthony Taylor and VAR official Stuart Attwell, who is purportedly a Luton Town supporter.

In a tweet following the defeat, Forest expressed their frustration: "Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. 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."

Neville strongly criticized Forest's statement on Sky Sports, describing it as "embarrassing" and likening it to a "petulant child."

He remarked, "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."

According to the Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest and their owner Evangelos Marinakis are exploring the possibility of legal action against Sky Sports over Neville's comments, which purportedly did not sit well with the club's hierarchy.

Forest also made a formal request to the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) for audio from the Everton match, specifically regarding incidents involving Ashley Young's challenge on Giovanni Reyna, a potential handball, and a tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Following the statement, the Football Association announced an investigation into Forest's comments, stating it was "extremely disappointed" by the implications made against match officials.

In response, Forest reiterated their stance on the matter, calling for greater transparency in refereeing appointments and urging PGMOL to consider contextual rivalries in league standings when assigning officials.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Forest emphasized their commitment to promoting confidence in the VAR system and ensuring fairness in refereeing decisions.