Nottingham Forest owner sues Crystal Palace over gun banner

LONDON: Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has launched legal action against Crystal Palace over a controversial banner displayed by Palace supporters during a Premier League match last year, according to reports.

Marinakis’ legal team reportedly filed a defamation claim against Crystal Palace and unidentified individuals at the High Court in London on Monday. The action comes almost a year after the banner was displayed during the clubs’ 1-1 Premier League draw at Selhurst Park.

The banner depicted Marinakis appearing to hold a gun to the head of Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. It also contained a message referring to allegations of blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking and corruption.

Marinakis, a Greek shipping and media businessman, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in relation to such allegations.

The incident had already drawn disciplinary attention from English football authorities. In November 2025, the Football Association charged Crystal Palace with failing to ensure that its supporters did not behave in an improper, offensive, abusive or provocative manner.

The club was subsequently fined £50,000 ($67,000) over the incident.

The dispute comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between the two clubs. The match in August 2025 was played after Nottingham Forest replaced Palace in the Europa League, while Crystal Palace were moved to the Conference League following a UEFA ruling related to its multi-club ownership structure.

The controversy surrounding the banner has now moved beyond football disciplinary procedures and into the courts, potentially putting the relationship between the two clubs under further scrutiny.

Marinakis, 59, is a prominent figure in European football. Besides Forest, he owns Greek club Olympiacos and Portugal’s Rio Ave, making him one of the more influential multi-club owners in the sport.

The latest legal action could reignite debate over the limits of fan expression and where football rivalry crosses into potentially defamatory or threatening territory.

Crystal Palace have yet to publicly respond to the reported High Court claim. The case could now determine whether the provocative banner amounts to legally actionable defamation.