By BEN WILLCOCKS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Published: 08:11 EDT, 21 August 2025 | Updated: 08:11 EDT, 21 August 2025
Crystal Palace are in discussion with Nottingham Forest and the Metropolitan Police over ramping up security for Sunday's clash between the two Premier League clubs at Selhurst Park, according to reports.
Forest were the beneficiaries of Crystal Palace's shock relegation from the Europa League to the Conference League last month, which came after the Eagles were found to have broken multi-club ownership rules by Europe's governing body Uefa.
The Europa League ban was determined as a result of Crystal Palace's former shareholder John Textor being an owner of French club Lyon, who also qualified for the tournament.
It is understood furious Eagles fans are planning a protest at Selhurst Park over Forest's perceived role in the demotion, with the East Midlands club having written to Uefa with their view of the alleged breach.
Forest, owned by Greek tycoon Evangelos Marinakis, also sent their lawyers to attend Palace's appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week, where Uefa's decision to ban Crystal Palace from the Europa League was upheld.
With the court's decision still fresh in the minds of fans ahead of Sunday's meeting between the two clubs at Selhurst Park, Palace have entered talks with Forest and the Metropolitan Police in the hope of increasing security, according to the Guardian.
Crystal Palace are in discussion with Nottingham Forest and the Metropolitan Police over ramping up security for Sunday's clash between the two Premier League clubs at Selhurst Park
Palace fans have furiously staged protests - at the Community Shield earlier this month for example - after Uefa demoted the club from the Europa League to the Conference League
The Europa League ban was determined as a result of Crystal Palace's former shareholder John Textor being an owner of French club Lyon, who also qualified for the tournament
Hundreds of Eagles supporters demonstrated in protest outside Selhurst Park after Uefa's initial decision was made earlier this summer, with one group Holmesdale Fanatics labelling the verdict as 'a terrible injustice for both our club and the game of football as a whole'.
More protests were staged during the Community Shield earlier this month, which Palace dramatically won 3-2 on penalties against Liverpool.
Since CAS upheld Uefa's decision last month, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has spoken publicly and at length about his fury behind the club's demotion.
'We were told that and I think it's been made public,' Parish told Gary Lineker's The Rest is Football podcast.
'There doesn't seem to be a lot of confidentiality that comes out of certain organisations. But we're led to believe that's the issue – if there wasn't somebody that wanted to get in as a consequence, then there wouldn't be a problem.
'People have got to look at themselves. Some people will say it's fine, some people will say it's not. I don't really have control of that. I only have control of the arguments that we put forward to Uefa.'
Although Crystal Palace's meetings with Nottingham Forest would generally be regarded as low-risk fixtures by the Metropolitan Police, the clash is being taken more seriously after it was claimed that protestors are planning to arrive at Selhurst Park early to target the travelling team's coach.
Marinakis, who is regular attendee of Forest's Premier League matches in London, is likely also to be a target of abuse from home supporters if he decides to watch the game at Selhurst Park.
Furious Eagles fans are planning a protest at Selhurst Park over Forest's perceived role in the demotion, with owner Evangelos Marinakis set to earn a volatile reception if he attends
A fan holds up a banner criticising Uefa, which references Forest's Greek owner Marinakis
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has spoken publicly about his fury behind the decision
No official details pertaining to the protest have yet been revealed.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Guardian: 'Officers will be in attendance at the upcoming Crystal Palace‑Nottingham Forest game.
'Our priority is keeping fans and the wider public safe, and we will continue to monitor the situation for developments.'
Nottingham Forest won their first Premier League match of the season 3-0 against Brentford last weekend, while Crystal Palace drew 0-0 away at Chelsea.
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