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Nottingham Forest and coach Steven Reid have been sanctioned after tempers flared following their defeat to Liverpool. A 99th-minute Darwin Nunez goal sealed all three points in a 1-0 win for the visitors, with the Forest bench furious afterwards.
Forest have been fined £75,000 by the FA after failing "to ensure its players and technical area occupants did not behave in an improper way" after the final whistle.
Reid was handed a two-match ban, with an additional £5,000 fine, after he allegedly called referee Paul Tierney a "c***" on three occasions in a fiery outburst following the defeat. Reid denied behaving in an improper manner but Forest’s reaction was deemed a breach of Rule E20 by an independent regulatory commission.
In Tierney's Extraordinary Incident Report Form from the match, he explained the conversation with Reid: "Following the final whistle I was surrounded by members of Nottingham Forrest’s substitutes and backroom staff on the field of play.
"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 fucking 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 three in total) as we were making our way off the field of play."
The row was corroborated by fellow official Scott Ledger, who emailed the FA and said: "After the final whistle while we were leaving the field of play, we were approached by Nottingham Forest coach Steven Reid. Reid made several comments regarding our integrity as a group of officials. Reid made a comment calling Paul a 'c***' at least three times. Also after being shown the red card he continued to make comments about the PGMOL making reference to the group of referees being against his club."
An FA statement continued to explain that Reid had denied acting in an inappropriate manner, but had admitted to abusive and insulting language towards a match official.
“The club admitted that it failed to ensure its players and technical area occupants did not behave in an improper way after the final whistle," the statement read. "The independent Regulatory Commission imposed a £75,000 fine following a subsequent hearing.
“The coach admitted that his language towards a match official which led to him being sent off was abusive and insulting. Steven Reid denied that he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting language towards a match official after being sent off.
“The independent Regulatory Commission found the second charge to be proven, and it imposed a two-match extended touchline suspension and £5,000 fine following the hearing.”
