Nottingham Forest made headlines with a strongly-worded statement in April where they fumed at referee Anthony Taylor and VAR following three decisions that went against them
Sky Sports have issued an apology to Nottingham Forest over remarks by pundit Gary Neville following the club’s 2-0 defeat to Everton last season.
Forest made headlines with a strongly-worded statement in April where they fumed at referee Anthony Taylor and VAR following three decisions that went against them. That statement called the failure to award three penalties ‘extremely poor’ and said it would ‘consider its options’.
The club even suggested VAR Stuart Atwell was a Luton Town fan amid the Hatters’ battle against relegation, prompting a stern response from a surprised Sky pundit Neville.
Neville did not hold back on Forest as he said: “It’s like a mafia gang statement, honestly… what the hell are they playing at?”
Sky have now released a statement concerned Neville’s words on April 21, saying it had spoken to the presenter – who had agreed not to use similar language in the future – and also apologised for any offence.
The statement said: “In response to a Nottingham Forest statement outlining their grievances with PGMOL following their match with Everton on 21 April Gary Neville, commenting on Super Sunday, strongly criticised Nottingham Forest’s approach. Sky Sports have discussed with Gary the language used and its potential to cause offence.
“Gary has agreed not to use the same or similar terms in future coverage. “Sky Sports apologises to Nottingham Forest for any offence caused by this language.”
The full initial statement from Forest read: “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.”
Nottingham Forest endured a rocky season last time out but still managed to survive in the Premier League, eventually finishing 17th in the table after finishing with 32 points – six clear of Luton Town.
Forest opted to sack manager Steve Cooper in December following a run of five defeats in six games, with former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo coming in to replace him.
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