Nottingham Forest referee’s error file sent to PGMOL ‘included only TWO tests from one game’, leaving referee bosses baffled by their complaints
- Reports surfaced last week suggesting that Nottingham Forest had sent a dossier
- This has been denied by PGMOL who say only two pieces were shipped.
- Steve Cooper outlined in his press conference last week some of the complaints
The PGMOL has been “baffled” by reports that Nottingham Forest sent a “dossier” with evidence of refereeing errors as part of a complaint about how they have been refereed.
The reports emerged last week following the club’s 2-2 draw with Everton, in which they felt several decisions were against them, that they had sent a dossier of evidence on various games and mistakes.
Forest had previously been at the end of a wrong decision when Brentford were handed an error penalty at the City Ground in October.
According ESPNthe arbitrator body is confused by the scant evidence presented by Forest.
They indicate that the PGMOL received two pieces of evidence related to the Everton game, not the error file that was claimed.
The PGMOL was reportedly puzzled by reports that a bug file was sent
Steve Cooper pointed out last week that Nottingham Forest have a number of complaints relating to refereeing in recent weeks.
It was also reported that the test was presented this weekend, not at the beginning of the week as had also been alleged.
The PGMOL has found itself in trouble in recent weeks and months, with Lee Mason leaving his VAR role as a result of failing to place the correct offside lines for Brentford’s equalizer at Arsenal last month.
Brighton incorrectly had a goal disallowed for offside the same weekend due to John Brooks failing to place the correct defender’s lines.
Howard Webb took up his role as chief referee last August and has tried to make decisions, and by extension mistakes, more transparent. He has appeared on live television broadcasts before games, including before Chelsea-Fulham in early February.
Before Forest’s defeat at Tottenham over the weekend, Steve Cooper, the club’s manager, outlined his complaints about refereeing at the moment, saying Webb was encouraging more dialogue and openness about decisions.
Cooper asked if Forest needed to “toughen up a bit” after they had internal discussions.
‘We’ve talked internally about, do we need to toughen up a bit? Do we have to defend ourselves a little more?’ he said.
‘I don’t know what other clubs do… is it more or less? What I do know is that we are in a situation where we need to say something about how we feel. But it’s not just a call and a moan. It is with detailed footage and data.
And not everything is negative. After a match, we don’t complain about a referee’s performance, that would be narrow-minded. It has to be over time, a course of games, like you’re judging me and the team,” he added.
‘It doesn’t have to be all negative, when Howard Webb arrived it was a positive meeting. Let’s all try to help.
Cooper himself was booked by referee Craig Pawson during Saturday’s loss to Tottenham.