Nottingham Forest launch authorized motion towards Sky Sports

Nottingham Forest have launched legal action against Sky Sports following the network’s coverage of a social media post in which the club questioned the appointment of referee Stuart Attwell to one of their matches.

The news arrives as Sky Sports took the decision to remove an article from their website on Friday night in which Gary Neville appeared to backtrack on comments calling for former referee Mark Clattenburg to resign from his role at the City Ground following the controversial statement.

Sources close to Sky Sports insist the decision to withdraw the piece was purely an editorial decision and not related to any ongoing legal matter.

We revealed last month that Forest were considering suing Sky for their coverage of the now infamous post on X, the social media network formally known as Twitter.

And Mail Sport has learned the removal of the article comes after Forest submitted a legal letter to Sky Sports in response to their reaction to the events that unfolded following their 2-0 loss at Everton on April 21.

Nottingham Forest have taken legal action against Sky Sports after Gary Neville’s mafia slur

Pundit Neville had initially called for Mark Clattenburg to resign from his role at the club

After the loss to Sean Dyche‘s side, the club released a controversial statement revealing they had contacted the referees body PGMOL to flag concern over Attwell being appointed as the match VAR because he is a supporter of relegation rivals Luton Town.

Forest were subsequently denied what they believed were three penalties at Goodison Park and Attwell did not send on-field referee Anthony Taylor to his pitchside monitor to review any of the incidents. Webb admitted this week that one of three incidents should have been awarded.

In February, Clattenburg took up a consultancy role with Forest with the intention of helping players and staff understand better the workings of VAR and how decisions are made. He resigned from his position on Friday, news first revealed by Mail Sport.

At the time Neville called on Clattenburg to stand down from his job with Forest.

After Forest’s social media post, which has been viewed 45 million times, Neville said: ‘Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight. If he saw those words go out which question the integrity of a referee and claims someone is a cheat for supporting another club then he’s supporting what is being said. 

Forest openly questioned the appointment of referee Stuart Attwell to one of their matches

Neville labelled their statement following the defeat by Everton like that of a ‘mafia gang’

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

‘He would lose all credibility with referees in the game. He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement.’

Neville continued: ‘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.’

Neville’s comments caused outrage at Forest and ahead of Luton’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Friday night Neville, when asked for his thoughts on Clattenburg’s decision to stand down, appeared to suggest he hadn’t called for the ex-Premier League official to resign.

He said: ‘I’m not surprised at all [that Clattenburg has resigned].

‘I thought that after the statement that Nottingham Forest made, I don’t think any of us ask for people to resign.

‘We don’t do that, we’re obviously critical at times because that’s the job we’re in. But to ask for people to resign is a very serious step and a severe step.’

A page with the headline: ‘Gary Neville: Mark Clattenburg resignation not surprising – “Forest made his job untenable”’ was posted on the Sky Sports website after the pundit’s comments.

However, the story carrying Neville’s latest remarks have since been taken down from the Sky Sports website.