Nottingham Forest have called on the PGMOL to amend their rule on refereeing "allegiances" as the astounding fallout from their defeat to relegation rivals Everton continues.
Nuno Espirito Santo's men felt that they were denied three clear penalty shouts at Goodison Park at the weekend, where goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.
The loss to the Toffees leaves Forest dangerously close to the relegation zone in 17th place, just one point above Luton Town, whom the Reds incredibly accused VAR official Stuart Attwell of supporting after the match.
As the full-time whistle blew, Forest posted on social media that Attwell - who did not instruct on-field referee Anthony Taylor to review any of the three penalty incidents - was a Luton fan, and they claimed that the PGMOL had ignored their purported pre-match warnings.
By effectively questioning Attwell's integrity, Forest have escalated the storm surrounding officiating controversy to new heights, and the club have now made a formal request for the VAR audio to be made public.
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'PGMOL must amend allegiances for contextual rivalries'
In the latest developments surrounding the unprecedented case, Forest released another social media statement doubling down on Monday evening, demanding that the refereeing body make changes to their "allegiances" rule to account for contextual rivalries relating to league positions.
"Following yesterday's match at Everton, NFFC issued a statement highlighting our concern at the perception of the PGMOL appointment of VAR for the game," Forest wrote. "This was an issue we raised with PGMOL prior to the fixture because of the fear of the side show that would ensue if anything went wrong with officiating in the game. That fear has materialised, as the correctness of three important decisions against the Club have been called into doubt.
"This is not about individuals but rather how the integrity of the game is seen. We know match officials do not allow outside factors to influence their decision-making and that all referees are required to declare their 'allegiances' to PGMOL to avoid any perceived conflict or harm to the game's reputation for integrity.
"However, it is clear PGMOL must amend its rule on allegiances to account for contextual rivalries in the league table, not just local rivalries. This is currently not within the criteria but should be. Mere reliance on match officials to recuse themselves if contextual rivalries exist invites conjecture, as some have recused themselves where others have not.
"NFFC stands by its request for greater transparency around PGMOL appointments to further protect the game's reputation, as intended in PGMOL's existing approach to allegiances.
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Premier League "extremely disappointed" at Forest comments
"Given the widespread and ongoing concerns, not merely of the fans, players and managers of this Club but of many others and the pundits too, over VAR decisions throughout this season any move which boosts confidence in the system should be properly considered."
Forest's initial post will undoubtedly land them in hot water with the FA, who are confirmed to be investigating the club's outburst by the Premier League, who also broke their own silence on Monday.
"The Premier League was extremely disappointed to read the comments made by Nottingham Forest on social media yesterday, following its match against Everton," the Premier League's Communications account posted.
"We note The FA has confirmed it will be investigating the club's statement. It is never appropriate to improperly question the integrity of match officials, and the nature of these comments means the Premier League will also be investigating the matter in relation to the League's Rules."
Forest head coach Santo also defended the club's first bombshell statement, while ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg - now employed by the Reds as a consultant - labelled the in-game decisions a "joke".
The Garibaldi return to action at home to Manchester City on Sunday, by which time they could have been plunged into the relegation zone if Luton Town defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers the day before.
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