Nottingham Forest Owner Just SUED Crystal Palace Over A Fan Banner — And The Details Are WILD ⚽💣

Stop everything, because a football club owner just sued ANOTHER football club over a fan banner — and honestly, the entire situation is absolutely bonkers. 🤯

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a defamation lawsuit in the High Court against Crystal Palace over a banner that Palace fans unfurled during a match last August. And when we tell you what was on that banner, you're going to understand why this got legal FAST.

The Banner That Started It All

According to BBC Sport, the controversial banner showed Marinakis holding a gun to midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White's head. Yes, really.

The text on the banner read: "Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption." The sarcasm? Absolutely dripping.

The banner appeared during a 1-1 Premier League draw between the two sides at Selhurst Park last August — and now, nearly a year later, it's ended up in court with CPFC Limited listed as one of the defendants.

Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to such allegations, and clearly, he's not taking this lying down.

The Tea ☕

• Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis filed a High Court defamation claim on Monday against Crystal Palace
• The lawsuit centers on a fan banner from August 2025 depicting Marinakis with a gun to player Morgan Gibbs-White's head
• The FA had already charged Palace in November 2025 for failing to control supporter behavior (though the banner wasn't specifically named)

There's SO Much Context Here

Here's where it gets even messier. BBC Sport reports that England international Gibbs-White had come close to leaving Forest last summer after Tottenham appeared to trigger a £60m release clause.

But he signed a new contract to stay at Forest and even did an interview alongside Marinakis about his decision. So the timing of this banner? Pointed. VERY pointed.

Oh, and there's more beef in the background: Marinakis-owned Forest had taken Palace's place in the Europa League last season after the south London club were relegated to the Conference League for breaking UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.

So yeah, there was already some serious bad blood brewing between these two clubs.

The FA Had Already Stepped In

Plot twist: Palace were actually charged by the Football Association back in November 2025 for failing to ensure supporters didn't behave "in an improper, offensive, abusive or provocative way."

While the banner wasn't specifically named as the reason for the charge, there are strict rules about messaging containing defamatory, political, and offensive slogans at football matches.

But clearly, that FA charge wasn't enough for Marinakis. He's going all the way to the High Court.

What Happens Next?

Both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have been approached for comment by BBC Sport, but neither has responded yet.

This is genuinely unprecedented territory. We've seen plenty of fan banner controversies over the years, but an actual HIGH COURT defamation lawsuit between two Premier League clubs? That's a new level of drama.

The Greek businessman bought Nottingham Forest in 2017 and has always been a controversial figure in football — but taking legal action against a rival club over a fan banner is bold even by Premier League standards.

We'll be watching this case VERY closely. Because if club owners start suing each other over what fans put on banners, football is about to get a whole lot more litigious. 😬

Do you think Marinakis is right to sue, or is this an overreaction? Sound off below! ⚖️

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Sources:

• BBC Sport: Nottingham Forest owner sues Crystal Palace over gun banner