The Football Association (FA) has opened an investigation after Crystal Palace supporters unveiled a provocative banner targeting Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White during Sunday’s Premier League clash at Selhurst Park.
The banner, displayed in the Lower Holmesdale Stand—home to the Holmesdale Fanatics supporters’ group—depicted Marinakis holding a gun to Gibbs-White’s head. Next to the Forest midfielder was a speech bubble reading: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption!”
The display also included imagery of Lyon and Crystal Palace investor John Textor as a clown, alongside references to corruption and financial misconduct. Marinakis has consistently and strongly denied any wrongdoing in relation to past allegations of blackmail, drug trafficking, match-fixing and corruption.
Forest raised concerns with the authorities following the incident, with club sources telling the BBC they were “majorly disappointed” such an “inflammatory and xenophobic” banner was allowed into the stadium.
The FA confirmed it will now review the matter under regulations covering offensive, defamatory and discriminatory fan displays. Palace could face sanctions if the governing body determines the banner breached its rules.
The episode comes amid heightened tensions between the two clubs after a summer of disputes over European competition spots. Gibbs-White, who recently signed a new contract with Forest until 2028 after rejecting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, was directly mocked in the display, with suggestions—albeit satirical—that his decision to stay was influenced by coercion from Marinakis.
While many fans viewed the banner as provocative satire, others condemned it as distasteful and harmful. The FA is expected to deliver its findings in the coming weeks.
