Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is suing Crystal Palace for defamation over a controversial banner displayed at Selhurst Park last season.
The banner depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White, with the incident subsequently investigated by the Football Association.
Crystal Palace were charged and fined £50,000, but Marinakis has now decided to pursue legal action against the club.
Palace fined by FA over banner
Under FA rules, clubs are responsible for ensuring supporters behave in a manner that is not considered “improper, offensive, abusive, insulting and/or provocative”.
The Forest owner is understood to be seeking to hold the club accountable for the publication and display of the material at Selhurst Park.
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Marinakis pursues legal action
Defamation proceedings can involve several forms of allegedly damaging material, including the “publication of false statements, the creation of an image or allowing an image to be displayed.”
In this case, the legal action relates to the banner depicting Marinakis and therefore focuses on the image displayed inside Selhurst Park.
The decision represents a significant escalation from the original FA disciplinary process, with Marinakis determined to pursue the matter beyond the sporting authorities.
Dispute follows Gibbs-White controversy
The incident came amid heightened tensions surrounding Gibbs-White, who had been at the centre of transfer speculation regarding his potential departure from Nottingham Forest.
The outcome of the defamation case could establish further consequences for Crystal Palace over the display of supporter-generated material, particularly given the responsibilities placed on clubs under FA regulations.
The controversy surrounding the banner is seemingly far from over, with Nottingham Forest yet to shine more light on the matter.
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