Forest fail in points deduction appeal

Nottingham Forest have been unsuccessful in their appeal against the four-point deduction handed out by the Premier League in March.

Forest were referred to an independent commission after they reported losses that were over the limit permitted across a three-year reporting cycle for last season.

The Premier League has said that Forest have been knocked back in their appeal against breaking the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The appeal was fast-tracked so that the club could enter their last two games without being in the dark about whether the penalty would affect their fight against relegation from the Premier League.

A Premier League statement said: “An independent Appeal Board has upheld the decision of a Commission to deduct four points from Nottingham Forest following an admitted breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

“The PSR sanction applied to the assessment period ending Season 2022/23 and was appealed by the club on two grounds. The club argued that the independent Commission committed an error in not treating its sale of a high-profile player (Brennan Johnson) shortly after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it committed a further error in electing not to suspend some or all of the points deduction it imposed. Each of these grounds was rejected by the Appeal Board, which found the independent Commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did. The four-point deduction will therefore remain in place.”

Forest gave themselves a massive chance of survival by beating rock-bottom Sheffield United at the weekend. They stand in 17th place in the Premier League, three points above Luton Town, who remain in the final relegation spot.