Stuart Attwell has not officiated a Nottingham Forest match in two years, following a public dispute after a Premier League game in April 2024. The 43-year-old referee last took charge of Forest's 2-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park, where he was the video assistant referee (VAR).
After the match, Nottingham Forest criticised Attwell in a social media post, questioning his judgment and highlighting that he supported Luton Town, a relegation rival at the time. The club was subsequently fined £750,000 by the Football Association for the statement, which was deemed an attack on the integrity of a match official.
The Athletic reports that the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) have deliberately avoided assigning Attwell to Forest matches since then. He has not served as referee, VAR, or fourth official for any Forest fixture over the past two years.
PGMO maintains protocols to prevent conflicts of interest, requiring officials to complete annual declarations of interests. Attwell is not the first official to be removed from a club's matches; Mark Clattenburg was kept away from Everton games for six years, and Martin Atkinson was excluded from Manchester United fixtures.
Attwell's most recent Premier League outing as referee was the 2-2 draw between Brighton and Tottenham. He is scheduled to officiate West Ham versus Everton this weekend.
