Nottingham Forest 'believe' Mark Clattenburg after their refereeing consultant reportedly informed the club's owners that he had called up to complain about Stuart Attwell being on VAR prior to their 2-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday.
Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil gave the Toffees all three points, boosting their hopes of staying in the Premier League in the process.
Yet Forest were incensed by the failure to give them three penalties during the clash.
They later released a controversial statement on social media, saying: "Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept.
Nottingham Forest believe Mark Clattenburg rung up to complain about Stuart Attwell prior to their defeat to Everton on Sunday
GETTY
"We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him.
"Our patience has been tested multiple times.
"NFFC will now consider its options."
Now, according to The Athletic, Clattenburg had called up PGMOL prior to the match at Goodison Park.
PGMOL insist that the former referee had told Howard Webb that he didn't have a problem with Attwell being on VAR, despite the 41-year-old apparently being a fan of relegation rivals Luton Town.
However, Clattenburg has now told Forest's owners that his phone call to Webb WAS to make a complaint.
The club are said to 'believe' the 49-year-old and his version of events.
Yet PGMOL 'maintain it was nothing of the sort'.
The fall-out to Sunday's drama has continued on Monday, with Forest still incensed by the disappointing result on Merseyside.
Clattenburg was appointed as Forest's referee analyst back in February.
And Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes the former referee should resign after Forest's bombshell statement.
“Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight," he said.
“He must resign from his job at Nottingham Forest.”
He added: “If he sees those words go out that question the integrity, that effectively call a VAR official a cheat because he supports a certain club, then he’s supporting what’s being said.
"And he will lose all credibility with referees within the game.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Stuart Attwell 'possibly has case for legal action' after controversial Nottingham Forest statement
- Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'makes approach for Thomas Tuchel' as details emerge after nervy Coventry win
- Jude Bellingham sends X-rated message and shushes fans after Real Madrid beat Barcelona in El Clasico
Nottingham Forest have accused Stuart Attwell of being a Luton Town fan following their disappointing defeat to Everton
GETTY
“He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement, in my opinion.”
Neville continued his rant by saying that Forest operated 'like a mafia gang' with their statement.
“It’s like a mafia gang statement. What the hell are they playing at?" he added.
"I think anybody would have some empathy and sympathy for Nottingham Forest this season, and some of the decisions they’ve had, but they’ve grabbed defeat from victory in the way they’ve handled it.
“It’s like a petulant child, it’s embarrassing. Some of the things they’re saying in there, inferring suggestions of cheating because there’s an official in Stockley Park who is a Luton fan is a scandal and they will pay for that.
Gary Neville has called on Mark Clattenburg to resign from his position at Nottingham Forest
GETTY
"They will regret that as a football club, with their history, and how they’ve presented themselves very well over a long period of history.
“This last line – explore all options… I was very critical of Liverpool earlier in the season after the Tottenham game. Clubs have got to stop saying that.
“They’ve got to stop saying they’ll explore all options. Sue? Replay the game? Take points back? What are your options?
"You can whinge a little bit if you want, you can be upset, but you haven’t got any options.
"This is a sporting situation. Unless we’re actually going to class referees and officials as cheats – which we’re not, we’re never going down that route because they’re not – then get rid of that ‘explore all options’.”