Nottingham Forest have lodged a complaint with refereeing chiefs PGMO – arguing that Everton’s James Tarkowski should have been sent off for an off-the-ball challenge on Dan Ndoye during their Premier League clash on Saturday.
With Everton a goal up in the 11th minute at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton defender barged Ndoye from behind.
Referee Chris Kavanagh appeared to miss the incident and VAR, James Bell, decided not to intervene. Forest went on to lose the match 3-0.
The VAR cannot intervene if they believe a yellow card may be the appropriate action – they can suggest upgrading a yellow to red, but not no card to yellow.
Forest boss Sean Dyche, who managed Tarkowski at Everton, said: ‘On another day, I’m amazed big Tarky gets away with that but he did. Not even a yellow card.
‘It’s not a shove if you look at it. Players get yellows and reds now for just touching heads together and it’s a lot more than that.’
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday, former referee Dermot Gallagher said: ‘I was watching the game – it didn’t leap out to me.
James Tarkowski in action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday – a game Everton won 3-0
‘Why he’s done it I don’t know, I think if the referee sees it it’s going to be a yellow card. It didn’t cross my mind it could be a red card.’
But former player and Gallagher’s fellow pundit Jay Bothroyd disagreed, saying: ‘I think that is a red card. He’s gone behind him, he’s shoulder checked him in his back, maybe even higher, in the back of his neck. It’s aggressive, he doesn’t need to do it.
‘Because the forward doesn’t know what he’s going to do you can see the way his head has jolted back. It is aggressive and I think that should have been given as a red card.’
It is not the first time Forest have complained about decisions that have gone against them. In March 2024, then first-team coach Steven Reid was sent off for confronting referee Paul Tierney after a late 1-0 defeat by Liverpool at the City Ground.
Reidwas handed a a £5,000 fine and two-match touchline ban. The club were fined £75,000 for failing to control their staff.
It came after Darwin Nunez’s 99th-minute winner for the Reds, who were handed the ball by Tierney for a restart despite Forest being in possession when play had been stopped for an injury.
A commission was told Reid said to the referee: ‘It’s the same every week, you c***. I worked with you f****** lot every f****** week last season. It’s the same every f***ing week… you c***.’
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche felt Tarkowski should have been sent off
A month later, Forest caused a storm with a social media post that hit out at Stuart Attwell, who was VAR in a defeat by Everton that saw the club have three penalty appeals turned down.
They claimed he supported Luton Town and should never have been taking charge of the game as the Hatters were – like Forest – locked in a relegation battle at the time.
‘Three extremely poor decisions — three penalties not given — which we simply cannot accept,’ read the post.
‘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.’
Later that year the FA hit the club with a £750,000 fine for that post, described as ‘an attack on the integrity of a match official on an unparalleled scale’.
The club lost an appeal against that decision.