FA Charges Crystal Palace Over Supporter Misconduct
The Football Association (FA) has charged Crystal Palace with misconduct following the display of a controversial banner by supporters during a recent match.
The banner, which was unveiled during the 1-1 Premier League draw against Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park in August, portrayed Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White's head. The message on the banner read: "Mr. Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking, or corruption." Marinakis has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
The FA's charge against Crystal Palace pertains to their failure to ensure that supporters refrained from engaging in improper, offensive, abusive, or provocative behavior. Although the banner was not explicitly cited as the reason for the charge, the FA enforces strict regulations regarding messaging that includes defamatory, political, or offensive slogans.
Gibbs-White was close to leaving Nottingham Forest this summer when Tottenham reportedly activated a £60 million release clause. However, he opted to sign a new contract with Forest, discussing his decision in an interview alongside Marinakis.
This match on August 24 marked the first encounter between the two teams since Crystal Palace's relegation from the Europa League to the Conference League due to violations of UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, which allowed Forest to take their place in the competition.
Crystal Palace has until Tuesday to respond to the FA's charge.