Marinakis launches defamation suit against Crystal Palace over Selhurst Park banner
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has launched a defamation claim against Crystal Palace at the high court on Monday over a banner shown at Selhurst Park during Palace’s 1-1 draw with Forest almost 12 months earlier. The banner depicted him holding a gun to the head of England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
The offending display appeared midway through the first half of that match and also carried the message: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match‑fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.” Gibbs-White had been set to join Tottenham last summer before Forest pulled out of the deal. Marinakis has previously rejected all those allegations. Lawyers for Marinakis were approached for comment and a spokesperson for Palace did not comment.
Lawyers for Marinakis lodged the claim for defamation against CPFC Ltd and "persons unknown" at the high court on Monday, according to court papers. The legal documents name CPFC Ltd alongside unidentified individuals as defendants in the action. The claim follows the public display of the banner at Selhurst Park during the fixture between the two clubs.
Crystal 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: "The fact that Crystal Palace had a policy to prevent banners being smuggled into the stadium demonstrates that it was aware of the risk." The fine related specifically to the conduct of spectators at that match.
Last summer Palace and Forest were at loggerheads after Forest wrote to Uefa to raise concerns that Palace could be in breach of multiclub ownership rules. The dispute resulted in the FA Cup winners 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. That change altered each club’s European involvement for the following season.
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, a move the report said 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.”
Crystal Palace are due to face Forest at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on 10 October.