Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis sues Crystal Palace over fan banner

The Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is suing Crystal Palace for defamation after supporters of the south London club displayed a banner depicting him holding a gun to the head of the England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

Almost 12 months since the banner appeared midway through the first half of Palace’s 1-1 draw with Forest at Selhurst Park, lawyers for Marinakis lodged the claim for defamation against CPFC Ltd and “persons unknown” at the high court on Monday.

The banner showed the Greek shipping magnate pointing the gun at Gibbs-White, who had been set to join Tottenham last summer before Forest pulled out of the deal, and also featured the message: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match‑fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.” Marinakis has previously rejected all those allegations. Lawyers for Marinakis were approached for comment. A spokesperson for Palace did not comment.

Palace were fined £50,000 by the Football Association in February after being found guilty of failing “to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) didn’t behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, insulting and/or provocative way at this match”. The FA added in its statement: “The fact that Crystal Palace had a policy to prevent banners being smuggled into the stadium demonstrates that it was aware of the risk.”

Last summer, Palace and Forest were at loggerheads after Forest wrote to Uefa to voice their concerns that Palace could be in breach of multiclub ownership rules. The FA Cup winners ended up being demoted to the Conference League, with Forest – who had finished seventh in the Premier League and originally qualified for the Conference League – promoted in their place. Palace went on to win that competition under Oliver Glasner, while Forest reached the Europa League semi-finals.

Glasner has since joined Forest after leaving Palace at the end of his contract in a move that has surprised both sets of supporters. The Austrian said this week that Marinakis had persuaded him to change his mind over dinner in Athens after previously rejecting Forest because they were not in Europe next season.

“Then I had a more detailed look and there are two reasons why I changed my mind and I told him,” Glasner said. “No 1 is I think there is more potential in the squad than they have shown. And No 2 is you, it’s your ambition, because I am very ambitious.”

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Palace are due to face Forest at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on 10 October.