Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a defamation lawsuit in the High Court against Crystal Palace and “Persons Unknown.” The legal action follows an incident nearly a year ago during a Premier League match at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace fans in the Holmesdale Road End displayed a banner depicting the Greek shipping magnate holding a gun to the head of Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White.
The banner referenced a transfer U-turn involving Gibbs-White and a subsequent interview where Marinakis was seen alongside the player. Furthermore, the display included unsubstantiated allegations against the Nottingham Forest owner, who has consistently and vehemently denied these claims.
The legal claim was formally lodged by Marinakis’ team on Monday. Tensions between the two clubs had already been elevated prior to the match on 24 August of last year, following the removal of Crystal Palace from the Europa League due to breaches of multi-ownership regulations. Nottingham Forest had voiced concerns regarding these regulations to UEFA and subsequently benefited from Palace’s exclusion, which allowed Forest to take their place in the competition.
In the aftermath of the banner display, the Football Association (FA) fined Crystal Palace £50,000. In their assessment, the FA noted that the club’s existing policy to prevent banners from being brought into the stadium indicated an awareness of the potential risks involved. Legal representatives for Marinakis, as well as officials from both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, have been approached for comment regarding the ongoing litigation.
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