- Webb to meet with Evangelos Marinakis or minority shareholder Sokratis Kominakis
- Nuno Espirito Santo could also be present after the controversy against Everton
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Refereeing boss Howard Webb will hold peace talks with Nottingham Forest’s owners this week, which will see VAR audio from their three penalty appeals in Sunday’s controversial defeat to Everton played for the club.
Forest requested access to referee Anthony Taylor’s conversations with VAR Stuart Atwell earlier this week after criticizing the latter’s appointment for the match at Goodison Park on the grounds that he is a “Luton fan”, and the body PGMOL arbitration board will be happy to oblige.
PGMOL protocol is to make VAR audio available to any club that requests it, and it is understood that Webb plans to play the recordings to Forest in an online meeting this week ahead of their next match against Manchester City on Sunday.
Webb will also speak to one of Forest’s owners, Evangelos Marinakis, or minority shareholder Sokratis Kominakis, although depending on the team’s training schedule, director Nuno Espirito Santo may also be present.
Forest also requested that audio of penalty appeals be made public, as PGMOL did last October following Liverpool’s loss to Tottenham when VAR officials Darren England and Dan Cook failed to overturn an offside decision because they mistakenly believed that Luis Díaz’s goal had been awarded.
Refereeing boss Howard Webb to hold peace talks with Nottingham Forest owners this week
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was furious that his team were denied three penalties at Everton.
Nottingham Forest will also receive PGMOL audio from Sunday’s VAR
PGMOL will not be doing the same on this occasion, but as Mail Sport revealed yesterday, one of the incidents is likely to feature on next week’s Match Officials: Mic’d Up programme, in which Webb and Michael Owen discuss recent decisions referees in the Premier League.
The FA has asked Forest, Santo, Neco Williams and the club’s refereeing consultant Mark Clattenburg for observations and could be charged with misconduct for questioning Atwell’s integrity.
While PGMOL is unhappy with Forest’s conduct, Webb’s willingness to meet with the club indicates his desire to resolve the matter amicably and put the controversy behind him.