Nottingham Forest’s bid to dodge a £750,000 ($968,000) fine has crashed and burned. The penalty, slapped on the club last October, stemmed from a fiery social media post in April 2024 that blasted Premier League VAR official Stuart Attwell after a 2-0 loss to Everton. Forest fumed over three denied penalties in that match, claiming their patience with refereeing decisions had been stretched to the breaking point.

The club’s post didn’t pull punches, alleging they’d warned the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) about Attwell’s supposed bias as a Luton fan—Forest’s relegation rivals at the time. “We told them he shouldn’t be anywhere near this game,” they raged online. The Football Association (FA) wasn’t having it, branding the outburst an “egregious, direct and public attack” on Attwell and a unprecedented assault on refereeing integrity. The result? A hefty fine from a regulatory commission.

Forest cried foul, calling the punishment excessive and vowing to appeal. But on Monday, March 10, 2025, the FA confirmed an appeal board had upheld the £750,000 sanction—and ordered the offending post scrubbed from X. By Monday, the link was dead, though Forest hadn’t officially confirmed its removal.

The appeal board’s ruling was blunt: “The original commission was spot-on to prioritize deterrence. Forest offered zero excuses—and that’s damning.” With no mitigation to soften the blow, the fine stands as a warning to clubs tempted to air referee gripes online.

Ironically, Forest dodged relegation last season while Luton sank to the Championship. This year, they’re flying high, sitting third in the Premier League and eyeing a Champions League spot. But their wallet’s still £750,000 lighter—and their social media team might think twice before hitting “post” next time.