Post: FA will compensate Nottingham Forest for huge sums of money due to prejudice
In a landmark legal battle, the FA of England lost the case and was required to pay a six-figure compensation to Nottingham Forest Club. The ruling revealed serious problems within the governing body and raised many doubts. Lawyers found that Graeme McPherson KC may have carried out an "unfair, inappropriate and personal attack" on Nottingham Forest when dealing with a dispute involving the club.
Last April, Nottingham Forest posted a controversial tweet on social media accusing the referee team of failure to replace a VAR referee associated with Luton. The tweet was viewed nearly 40 million times, and the FA then fined the club £1 million.
Nottingham Forest expressed strong dissatisfaction with this, believing that the FA's punishment was unfair and unfounded. However, McPherson, chairman of the preliminary decision group, rejected what the club called "some hysterical statements". In the end, Nottingham Forest was fined £750,000 and appealed. McPherson was again elected to chair the Appeals Board but withdrew due to opposition from the club.
In 2024, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea had a large-scale conflict in Premier League matches and were fined 125,000 pounds and 40,000 pounds respectively. Nottingham Forest appealed again and expressed shock at McPherson's appointment as chairman of the Appeals Committee. They believed McPherson's previous remarks showed he had obvious bias and asked him to evade the case. The
arbitration hearing ultimately ruled to support Nottingham Forest. Although McPherson denied bias, the arbitration committee determined it was a case of "obvious bias". The committee noted that McPherson's use of the term "hysterical" was "highly derogatory" and believed that an impartial observer would think that McPherson had "unfair, inappropriate and personalized attacks" against the club and its legal representatives. The
arbitration committee also stressed that McPherson should not be involved in any disciplinary proceedings related to Nottingham Forest. In addition, the FA will also bear the costs of the arbitration, including £105,750 plus VAT and legal fees for both parties.
With the arrival of independent regulators, this may bring embarrassment to the FA. The field of discipline is considered one of the few areas where the FA still retains certain power under the leadership of the Premier League.