'A serial problem' - FA criticise Forest's persistent bad behaviour

Nottingham Forest have been criticised by the Football Association for failing to address their behaviour on the pitch.

The club and Chelsea were charged and fined for failing to control their players during a mass confrontation in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last October.

They were fined £125,000 and £40,000 respectively, although Forest appealed and their punishment has now been reduced to £112,000 following a hearing last Friday.

It was a sixth issue in two years and eight months for Forest. The club was fined following similar incidents against Derby and Crystal Palace in 2022, twice against Wolves in the EFL Cup and Premier League in 2023 and last year against Liverpool, which resulted in a £75,000 fine.

The FA has now released its written reasons and, despite giving Forest credit for their guilty plea, has been critical.

"We accept that their role within the incident itself was a lesser one but nevertheless contributed to a deeply unseemly scene," it wrote.

"Their position is aggravated by a significantly worse misconduct history for E20 offences. It seems to this commission that the club are doing very little to address this sort of behaviour."

The FA had previously criticised Forest following their EFL Cup quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Wolves in January 2023.

Tempers boiled over at the City Ground after the west Midlands side lost on penalties and former Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White celebrated in front of the travelling fans.

The commission said at the time: "There has been no evidence put forward to the commission to demonstrate that the club are addressing what is now becoming a serial problem."