The Football Association has launched a formal investigation into a controversial banner displayed by Crystal Palace supporters during Sunday’s tense Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.
The graphic image, unfurled in the Lower Holmesdale Stand—home to the club’s famed Holmesdale Fanatics—showed Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
Though Marinakis did not attend the match at Selhurst Park, the banner served as a vivid symbol of the animosity brewing between the two clubs. Palace fans have expressed deep resentment after their exclusion from the Europa League—an exclusion tied to UEFA’s enforcement of multi-club ownership rules, which placed Palace in the Europa Conference League and elevated Forest into the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest’s qualification came through Palace’s elimination, which many perceive as a direct result of Marinakis’s involvement behind the scenes.
The FA regulates offensive content, including banners, chants, and slogans with potentially harmful or political implications. Officials are now reviewing whether the image violated those rules, a process that may lead to sanctions depending on severity and intent.
This match took place against a fraught backdrop. Earlier in the summer, UEFA barred Palace from the Europa League due to ownership ties with John Textor, who also held a stake in Lyon.
Despite attempts to appeal the decision through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Palace’s demotion stood, and Forest—a 7th-place Premier League finisher—benefited. As a result, emotions were running high among Palace fans heading into the fixture.
Adding fuel to the fire, moments before kick-off, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish denounced the ruling as “the biggest injustice in the history of football,” reflecting the club’s deep frustration.
On the field, the action mirrored the tension off it. Ismaïla Sarr gave Palace the upper hand in the first half, only for Callum Hudson-Odoi to haul Forest level after the break. The 1-1 draw extended Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten run at Selhurst Park to an impressive stretch, heightened by fierce chants against UEFA and targeted slogans aimed at Marinakis.
Beyond the fan protests, the atmosphere was intensified by lingering questions about managerial stability at Forest. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo acknowledged the unrest, admitting he could not guarantee his tenure well beyond the transfer window. Reports suggest he is scheduled to hold talks with club leadership, including Marinakis and sporting director Edu, amid speculation about his future.
Even before the match, security arrangements for the fixture had been ramped up. Palace, Nottingham Forest, and the Metropolitan Police coordinated enhanced measures amid expectations of fan-led protests. There were concerns, at one point, that the Forest team coach might be targeted in advance of the match. Although Marinakis did not attend, his presence—or potential presence—prompted extra vigilance.
The backlash from Forest has been pointed. It is understood that club officials are particularly aggrieved that greater efforts were not made by Palace management to prevent the banner from being displayed.
The investigation now places Crystal Palace in a delicate position. If the FA determines the banner breaches its guidelines, possible consequences include fines, warnings, or even stadium bans for the involved fan groups.
Nottingham Forest’s complaint underscores that this is about more than poor taste—it touches on deeper cultural sensitivities, with descriptors of the banner as “xenophobic” being widely circulated.