Forest owner Marinakis sues Palace over gun banner

What the report says

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has launched a defamation claim against Crystal Palace over a banner displayed by Palace supporters during a Premier League match at Selhurst Park last August, BBC Sport reports. The image showed Marinakis appearing to point a gun at Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, alongside wording that denied allegations of blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking and corruption.

According to BBC Sport, Marinakis’ lawyers filed the case in the High Court on Monday and CPFC Limited is named as one of the defendants. Marinakis has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing connected to those allegations. The report says the banner was shown during a 1-1 draw between Palace and Forest.

The dispute comes against a wider backdrop of tension between the clubs. BBC Sport notes that Palace were charged by the Football Association in November 2025 for failing to ensure supporters did not act in an improper, offensive, abusive or provocative manner, although the article does not say the banner was the specific reason. The piece also recalls Gibbs-White’s near-move to Tottenham last summer before he signed a new contract with Forest.

More broadly, the article highlights Marinakis’ prominent role in English football and the way supporter displays can lead to disciplinary and legal consequences when they are viewed as defamatory or abusive.