Nottm Forest boss Steve Cooper charged by FA over referee comments

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has been charged by the Football Association over comments made about referee Thomas Bramall following his side’s defeat at Wolves last weekend.

Cooper said Bramall was known for being inconsistent after the 1-0 Premier League loss at Molineux where both sides had a penalty awarded after VAR intervention, while there was another incident in the first half.

Ruben Neves scored Wolves’ while Forest’s Brennan Johnson saw his effort saved by Jose Sa.

After the game, Cooper said: “We know the referee well from last season. We had him in the Championship.

“We know the differences of what you can get with him. So we knew that was part of what we had to deal with today.”

And the FA has now sanctioned him for those comments, charging him with a break of Rule E3.1.

Cooper has until Thursday to provide a response.

An FA statement read: “Nottingham Forest FC’s Steve Cooper has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following their Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers FFC on Saturday 15 October 2022.

“It is alleged the manager’s comments during post-match interviews constitute improper conduce in that they imply bias and/or question the integrity of the referee and/or bring the game into disrepute.

“Steve Cooper has until Thursday 27 October 2022 to provide a response.”