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Nottingham Forest have told Sky that their lead pundit Gary Neville is banned from The City Ground for their defining game of the season against Chelsea.
The Champions League chasers have requested that the broadcaster changes its commentary team, believing there will be a hostile welcome from fans following some aggressive messaging from Neville that they feel was aimed at diminishing the club’s progress this season.
Forest’s move follows heavily critical points made by Neville on social media and a belief within the camp that the former Manchester United defender has a grudge against the club, its board and management.
Forest have formally complained to Sky about Neville, with the broadcaster announcing his role in the Sunday showdown a number of days ago. Since then, Forest have made their feelings clear.
The Premier League is known to be aware of the situation. Mail Sport understands it is within the gift of all member clubs to decide who comes on to their property – and so the league will not intervene ahead of a clash between two sides battling for a place in European football’s elite competition.
Gary Neville has been banned from Nottingham Forest’s final game of the season
The Premier League will not intervene in the ban on Neville from Forest’s game vs Chelsea
Sky Sports have described Forest’s action is ‘unprecedented and unwelcome’. They have decided to revise their production plans and will now present from their west London HQ.
It is understood that Neville himself has chosen not to be part of the coverage, with Sky’s full backing. The broadcaster will still have a commentary team at the ground.
Neville triggered fury at Forest when he strongly criticised owner Evangelos Marinakis for walking onto the pitch and exchanging words with manager Nuno Espirito Santo following a 2-2 draw with Leicester.
‘Scandalous from that Forest owner,’ Neville posted on X. ‘Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.’
Forest subsequently hit back with a no-punches-pulled statement which, without naming Neville, referenced ‘fake news online’ and warned against ‘baseless and ill-informed outrage of the purposes of personal social media traction’.
Neville alluded to the upset at Forest on his podcast this week, turning to the camera to sarcastically say “Sorry Mr Marinakis!” when joking about owners entering the pitch
Rather than remonstrating with the manager over a disappointing result, Forest said Marinakis was instead concerned for Taiwo Awoniyi and over whether the serious abdominal injury the Forest striker suffered – which Mail Sport revealed could prove fatal in some cases – could have been handled better by the club’s medical team after he remained on the field.
‘We urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context – least of all the injured player,’ the club said.
Forest said Evangelos Marinakis was concerned for Taiwo Awoniyi when he entered the pitch
Forest striker Awoniyi collided with the goalpost and suffered a serious abdominal injury
‘Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player.’
Last year, Forest received an apology from Sky over language used by Neville following their match at Everton.
Following a 2-0 defeat in which Forest believed they were denied three penalties, the club posted an explosive statement on X, questioning the appointment of Stuart Attwell as VAR.
Neville likened Forest’s actions to those of a ‘mafia gang’, with Marinakis confirming to Mail Sport that his lawyers had ‘been in contact with Sky regarding Neville and this is not over yet’.
A statement posted on Sky Sports’ website read: ‘In response to a Nottingham Forest statement outlining their grievances with PGMOL following their match with Everton on 21 April Gary Neville, commenting on Super Sunday, strongly criticised Nottingham Forest’s approach.
‘Sky Sports have discussed with Gary the language used and its potential to cause offence. Gary has agreed not to use the same or similar terms in future coverage.
‘Sky Sports apologises to Nottingham Forest for any offence caused by this language.’
Nottingham Forest declined to comment.