Nottingham Forest fined over FA charges after Liverpool clash

Nottingham Forest have been fined £75,000 after failing to control players and staff following the final whistle of their narrow Premier League defeat to Liverpool on 2 March.

Forest coach Steven Reid, who was shown a red card after the game had finished for abusive language towards a match official, has been fined £5,000 and issued a two-game touchline ban.

The game finished in controversial fashion when Darwin Nunez scored the only goal in the ninth minute of stoppage time, beyond the initial eight indicated by the officials. Forest were incensed when possession was returned to Liverpool after a pause for a head injury, just moments before the decisive goal went in. Forest had the ball prior to the game being stopped.

The club accepted the FA charge regarding the behaviour of players and staff, with independent regulatory commission settling on a £75,000 fine based on a history of seven similar incidents between 2017 and 2023. Fines have been increased each time from an initial £5,000.

Reid, part of Nuno Espirito Santo's backroom staff, admitted that his language towards referee Paul Tierney was abusive and insulting and the reason for his red card. He denied that he continued to act in an improper manner and/or use abusive language continued afterwards. However, the independent regulatory commission found that charge to be proven.

Tierney gave his version of events in an incident report.

"Following the final whistle I was surrounded by members of Nottingham Forrest’s substitutes and backroom staff on the field of play," the official explained.

"One of those who approached me was Steven Reid (a coach of Nottingham Forest) who was not listed on the teamsheet. He asked me about a decision and I said to him that I will speak to him inside and not outside on the field of play.

"He then continued to question me and I repeated that I would speak to him inside. He then said, ‘it’s the same every week, you c***.' I showed him the red card and then he said 'I worked with you f***ing lot every f***ing week last season. It's the same every f***ing week you c***'. He then continued to use the word f*** and called me a c*** on at least one more occasion (making that a minimum of 3 in total) as we were making our way off the field of play."

In response, Reid had said in his own witness statement, "I did not repeat those words as we were making our way from the field of play."

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