Latest Nottingham Forest news: Reds lose appeal against four-point deduction for FFP infringement.
The Premier League has been accused of failing to listen to fans’ concerns after a submission made during Nottingham Forest’s appeal hearing was not addressed.
An independent commission denied the Reds’ appeal against their four-point reduction for violating the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. In addition to disregarding the club’s position, they did not appear to take into account issues raised in a report by the Nottingham Forest Supporters’ Trust.
Robert Matusiewicz, a Trust board member and football finance expert, assisted in compiling the study following the points deduction verdict in March. The Trust stated that one of its objectives was to “highlight a number of incorrect assumptions or interpretations” made by the initial independent committee.
The appeal board cited the study in their written grounds for sustaining Forest’s sentence. “In addition to the submissions of the parties, a document from the Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust dated 16th April 2024 entitled “NFST report on the Independent Commission decision on Nottingham Forest Football Club on Profit and Sustainability Rules” was submitted to the board.
“The NFST (like other supporters’ clubs) has no standing in an appeal of this type, despite the strong feelings that fans of a sanctioned club (or other Premier League clubs) have about sanctions for PSR breaches. Neither the club nor the Premier League (PL) referenced to the substance of this document during the hearing, and while we reviewed it, we do not believe it contributes to the club’s representations.
Following the appeal result, the Trust issued a statement expressing “disappointment” with the decision and claiming that the Reds’ sentence was “disproportionate”. They also urge the Premier League to listen to supporters’ views, as club owners have pledged to do as part of the Premier League Owners’ Charter.
The statement reads: “NFST is unhappy at the decision of the appeal board to sustain the original judgment of the independent commission (IC) to impose a four-point deduction for the confessed infraction of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Following the publishing of the original IC ruling, NFST decided to create a report for the benefit of our members and other interested fans on the decision itself, as well as our thoughts on whether PSR is fulfilling its stated goal.
“After reviewing the original document, it was determined that there may be validity in submitting the report to the appeal board. As a result, it was presented to the club and the Premier League as parties to the appeal and distributed to the board members for review.
“We note that the appeal board read the report, but they declare that supporters do not have standing in such an appeal. We do not question the strict legal correctness of this, but given that point 1 of the Premier League Owner’s Charter states: “We understand the vital nature of our fans and we commit to listening to their views,” we believe the Premier League should follow the same principle as the owners of their clubs.
“Led by NFST board member and football financial expert Robert Matusiewicz, this paper took many hours to complete. Regrettably, it did not contribute to the desired outcome for all those who cared about Forest, but no regrets; the effort was worthwhile. For the record, we continue to believe that the four-point sentence is disproportionate and contrary to PSR’s objectives, for the reasons detailed in the report.
“The vital nature of fans is fundamental to the principles of NFST.” We now join all Forest fans in encouraging our team to deliver on the pitch in order to maintain our beloved Premier League position. We are confident that our players will listen to their fans in the stands and perform appropriately.”
