Nottingham Forest have been charged by the Football Association (FA) following their full-time protests after Saturday’s Premier League defeat to Liverpool.
Forest have been charged with allegedly failing “to ensure its players and/or technical area occupants don’t behave in an improper way after the final whistle”.
First-team coach Steven Reid has also been charged after it was alleged his language towards a match official, which led to his sending off at full time, was “abusive and/or insulting”. It is also alleged he “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting language towards a match official after being sent off”.
Forest and Reid have until Wednesday, March 13 to respond to the charges.
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) March 6, 2024
The Premier League fixture at the City Ground ended in angry scenes after Liverpool scored a 99th-minute winner to secure a 1-0 victory.
In the 97th minute, a drop ball had been awarded to Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher after referee Paul Tierney stopped play to allow treatment to defender Ibrahima Konate, who appeared to have sustained a possible head injury.
Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi had been in possession on the edge of the Liverpool box when play was stopped. The laws of the game state Tierney should have instead returned the ball to Forest.
This prompted a furious response from the Forest bench and emotions ran even higher when Liverpool subsequently scored in the 99th minute.
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Forest coach Reid was dismissed after the final whistle following his comments towards Tierney and the team of officials as he made his way off the pitch.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was stood on the touchline as the final whistle blew and followed the match officials into the tunnel.
Mark Clattenburg, the former FIFA and Premier League referee who was appointed by Forest as a match and performance analyst in February, then addressed the media to explain the club’s frustrations with the decision.
“As a club, Nottingham Forest feel as though there have been one or two decisions that have gone against them in the last few weeks,” said Clattenburg. “There have been clear decisions where the Premier League and the PGMOL have accepted that there have been mistakes.
“Today is another example where the law is quite clear. The law states that, if the referee is going to stop the game — which he is entitled to for a head injury — the ball has to go back to the team that has possession. Nottingham Forest clearly had possession.”
GO DEEPER
Explained: Liverpool’s winner, a drop ball, angry Marinakis and Clattenburg’s cameo
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