Nottingham Forest controversially banned Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville from attending their final-day clash with Chelsea after he criticised owner Evangelos Marinakis
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Sport
15:51, 25 May 2025
Gary Neville
Gary Neville wasn't allowed in the City Ground(Image: Getty Images)
Sky Sports were forced to present coverage of Nottingham Forest against Chelsea from their studio in London rather than at the City Ground. The move comes after Sky pundit Gary Neville was controversially banned from entering Forest's stadium.
Neville, 50, had criticised owner Evangelos Marinakis' behaviour following their last home game, a dramatic 2-2 draw with Leicester. Marinakis had stormed onto the pitch after full-time to remonstrate with manager Nuno Espirito Santo regarding their coaching and medical staff's treatment of Taiwo Awoniyi, who'd suffered a late injury.
Neville subsequently posted on X: "Scandalous from that Forest owner. Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that."
In response, Forest denied the former Manchester United captain accreditation for their final-day clash with Chelsea. Sky still sent a commentary team and reporter Patrick Davison to the City Ground, but their show was broadcast from their London studio.
Roy Keane and Jamie Redknapp joined presenter David Jones, leaving viewers with the same question. "Why aren't Sky Sports at Anfield for the trophy lift? In the studio instead very bizarre," one fan posted on X.
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Another wrote: "Not sure why the sky team are in the studio and not at Anfield for the presentation. Doesn't seem right on the final day."
Neville confirmed on Friday that he'd withdrawn from Sky's coverage of the match on the final day of the Premier League season. In the wake of his post about Marinakis, Forest released a statement slamming 'fake news online' and warned against 'baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction'.
After he was banned, Neville wrote on Instagram: "I was contacted by Sky Sports earlier on in the week and told that I would be commentating at the City Ground on Sunday for the Nottingham Forest v Chelsea match.
Should Nottingham Forest have banned Gary Neville? Have your say in the comments section.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Fans of Nottingham Forest, holding posters which read "Forest Where's Gary" and wearing face masks of former footballer and Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville, pose for a photo on the outside of the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Chelsea FC at City Ground on May 25, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest fans mocked Gary Neville's absence
"I was informed yesterday by Sky Sports that Nottingham Forest would not give me an accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commentator. I've had no choice but to withdraw from the coverage.
"I've dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action. Personally, I think it's disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision.
"Whilst they have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium, it's symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club. I wish the coaching staff, players and fans of the club all the best in their quest to achieve Champions League football."
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