EPL: Nottingham Forest drag Crystal Palace to court ahead of new season

The owner of Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, has taken legal action against Crystal Palace regarding a derogatory banner.

As reported by BBC Sport, Marinakis’s legal representatives have submitted a defamation lawsuit at the High Court concerning a banner displayed by Crystal Palace supporters.

The banner depicted the Forest owner aiming a gun at Morgan Gibbs-White’s head.

Supporters unveiled the banner during the 1-1 draw between the two teams at Selhurst Park last August.

It included the statement, “Mr. Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking, or corruption.”

Marinakis has repeatedly denied any misconduct related to those allegations.

In November 2025, the Football Association charged Crystal Palace for failing to ensure that its fans behaved appropriately.

Although the banner was not explicitly mentioned as the cause for the charge, there are stringent regulations regarding messages that contain defamatory, political, or offensive content.

Morgan Gibbs-White nearly departed Nottingham last summer when it seemed that Tottenham had activated a £60 million release clause in his contract.

However, the England international ultimately opted to sign a new contract to remain at the City Ground, providing an explanation for his choice in an interview alongside Marinakis.