"Childish, embarrassing" call made on Nottingham Forest's Stuart Attwell VAR statements

Mark Clattenburg and Nottingham Forest have drawn fire from across the English footballing world for saying that VAR Stuart Attwell being a Luton fan cost them three penalties against Everton - and some in the Nottinghamshire Live comments section agree with the club's detractors. Criticism followed the extraordinary social media statement after the game, and Forest are now under investigation by the FA.

The club claimed to have warned the refereeing organisation PGMOL before the match about their concerns with Stuart Attwell, and have requested audio recordings of three incidents to help their case. Clattenburg has said: “In a season where they have had to endure some egregious refereeing, this trip to Everton was as grim a game as they have encountered since returning to the Premier League.”

Commenter @TrickyTree says that the club have gone about it all wrong: “Forest perfectly entitled and absolutely correct to question how VAR failed to operate yesterday & also in previous instances. However it was a huge mistake to imply Stuart Atwell failed to make calls in Forest’s favour because he was a Luton fan. That was childish, embarrassing and turned neutrals who had sympathy for our case against us.”

User 1865red says: “The sooner we get Clattenburg out the better. This bloke only brings negative attention.” Kenttree writes: “While I agree with the facts, although the handball was debatable for me, we are really making ourselves a laughing stock. I think it'd be political to pipe down a bit about the injustices we're facing, as we're becoming a club others just hate, which isn't going to serve us well moving forward.”

Theangryvoter backs Forest's efforts: “Questioning VAR abject failures when your survival may depend on it is absolutely right. Apologies for such repeated abject failings is not enough. Howard Webb should go. Attwell banished to Sunday league.”

Hampshirered says: “What commentators don't seem to understand when they say we 'just need to focus on play and stop complaining', is that the refs have undermined confidence again and again. If you don't believe the refs will be fair in their decisions (and lets face it, the pens given against us versus for us clearly show two different assessment criteria), then it will impact the team."

"Poor officials have derailed us every time we have been building up a head of steam. The Spurs game is a great example. So yes the refs do have a big influence not just on lost points but on form as well.”

Cloughs9180reds writes: “Forest have actually shown balls by appointing Mark Clattenburg to raise awareness on how VAR is not fit for purpose, and now it rumoured that the premier league want to trial other technology next season regarding offsides. VAR was brought in to eradicate mistakes, which only works if those in VAR actually do what Clattenburg is saying and point out to the referee that he should go and look at the screen - a practice that is seen far too often when a decision is in favour of the top 6 cartel, but not when it goes against them.”

California Redwood asks: “If you don't fight for yourself who will? May be unseemly but if it's the Championship next season and this has had a role in outcomes, then at least something was said while there was still a chance to say something.”

Is the VAR saga a distraction in the fight for survival? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.