The Football Association (FA) has officially charged Crystal Palace Football Club with misconduct following the display of a highly controversial banner by its supporters. The incident took place during a 1-1 Premier League draw against Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park in August. The banner, unfurled by fans in the Holmesdale End, depicted Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to the head of midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

Accompanying the provocative image, the banner featured text that read: "Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption." The banner also contained a litany of other "lurid unproven allegations" pertaining to Marinakis's business career, all of which the Greek businessman has consistently and strongly denied. The depiction of Morgan Gibbs-White was specifically noted as occurring after the Forest captain had reportedly performed a U-turn on a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur, choosing instead to agree a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

The FA's charge against Crystal Palace asserts that the club failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters did not behave in an "improper, offensive, abusive, insulting and/or provocative way." This failure, according to the FA, constitutes a breach of conduct. The club has been given until Tuesday to respond to this disciplinary investigation.

This episode unfolds amid a wider context involving a UEFA investigation into Crystal Palace's ownership structure. Palace supporters have reportedly pointed fingers at Marinakis for instigating this UEFA probe. The investigation ultimately led to the unexpected demotion of the 2025 FA Cup winner, Crystal Palace, to the third-tier Europa Conference League for the current season, while Nottingham Forest was subsequently elevated to the second-tier Europa League. This UEFA ruling, which determined that previous co-owner John Textor held a controlling interest in both Palace and French club Lyon, followed a drawn-out saga. Reports suggest that Evangelos Marinakis played a direct role in this development by writing to the governing body to raise concerns about Crystal Palace's ownership model.