Sky Sports have issued a formal apology to Nottingham Forest after Gary Neville referred to the club as a ‘mafia-gang.’
Neville didn’t hold back last season as he criticised Nottingham Forest for a statement released following the club’s 2-0 loss to Everton in April.
After having three penalty appeals turned down during the match, the Midlands club released a statement claiming VAR assistant Stuart Atwell supported Luton Town, who were competing with Forest for Premier League survival.
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Responding to the statement live on Sky Sports, Neville called for the resignation of consultant Mark Clattenburg, referring to him as ‘a petulant child.’
But, according to The Telegraph, after receiving a legal letter of complaint from Nottingham Forest, Sky Sports and Neville have released an official apology for pundit’s comments.
The statement says: “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.
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“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.”
Forest’s loss at Goodison Park left their hopes of staying in the Premier League severely dented, leading to their demand of the VAR audio for each of the decisions not to award them a penalty, which they said they ‘simply cannot accept.’
Speaking after the match about the statement, Neville, 49, said: “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.”
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Later that month, Forest’s club consultant Clattenburg resigned from his position.
And, despite receiving a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules, Forest avoided relegation to the second tier of English football by six points.
Luton Town, however, will spend next season in the Championship after finishing 18th the in 2023/24 Premier League season, ahead of Burnley and Sheffield United.
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Topics: Nottingham Forest, Gary Neville, Sky Sports, Premier League, VAR, Mark Clattenburg, Luton Town, Football
Ben McCrum