Tim Howard backs Nottingham Forest in PGMOL scandal after Everton defeat
Tim Howard has leapt to the defence of Nottingham Forest amid their feud with PGMOL after penalty decisions went against them in the defeat to Everton.
The Toffees claimed a 2-0 win but had three penalty decisions go in their favour, which led Forest to release a furious statement directed at the PGMOL after the game.
While they have been criticised for doing so, while writing in his Daily Mail column (24 April) Howard has defended them and claimed that all clubs are trying to put pressure on officials in different ways.
“Are Forest trying to put pressure on officials? Maybe. But you know what? Everyone is. Whether it is done publicly or privately, on the pitch or off it,” the Everton hero said.
“Yes, it came against my former team, Everton. But I see Forest’s complaint: there were three penalty claims and certainly one of them – Ashley Young’s tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi – was a stonewall penalty.”
Everton fans will agree with Nottingham Forest anger at officials
If there is any group of fans who have the right to be angry at officials more than Forest then it is Everton, so there is certainly going to be sympathy.
If those decisions had gone against the Blues in that game then it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see fans shouting “corruption” or that the Premier League are trying to get them out of the league.
Clubs and fans are emotional and sometimes it can feel that way, while Howard is spot-on and is being level-headed about this whole situation.
Clearly the statement that Forest released was in bad taste and was quite shocking, but doing it publicly or doing it in private doesn’t really make too much of a difference. The point is that they want change.
Everyone wants the best situation for their club to succeed, and Forest are no different. They have every right to be angry and the PGMOL and Howard Webb need to improve officiating into next season.
In other Everton news, Richard Buxton has criticised the “vultures” looking to buy the club “on the cheap” amid worries over the club’s long-term future.
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