Gary Neville, the sharp-tongued Sky Sports pundit, got a red card from Nottingham Forest, and is banned from their City Ground fortress for Sunday’s Premier League finale against Chelsea. The former Manchester United star, known for his fiery commentary, was denied accreditation as a co-commentator, leaving him sidelined like a substitute nobody trusts.
Forest’s bold move, confirmed by Neville on Instagram, has set tongues wagging and keyboards clacking across the football world.
The drama kicked off after Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on May 11, 2025, when owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed the pitch, looking like he’d just lost a bet with a bookie. Neville, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, called it “scandalous” on X, suggesting manager Nuno Espirito Santo should “negotiate his exit tonight.” Forest hit back, labeling the backlash “fake news” and insisting Marinakis was just worried about striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who limped on after a brutal 88th-minute injury, later needing urgent surgery.
Now, Forest, sitting seventh in the Premier League as of May 23, 2025, per the official Premier League table, are chasing a Champions League spot. A win against Chelsea, could seal their European dreams if Newcastle and Aston Villa stumble. But banning Neville? That’s like benching your star striker for tweeting too much.
Neville, with 14 years of dishing dirt and an occasional sprinkling of praise, called Forest’s decision “disappointing” yet oddly fitting, hinting at a year of quirky club antics. The Premier League, when asked, shrugged and said accreditation is a club call, per their official statement. Marinakis, a Greek shipping tycoon who owns Olympiacos and once spat near refs, earning a five-match ban, isn’t new to controversy.
Forest’s reasoning? They reckon Neville’s got a grudge, per the Daily Mail, and fans might give him a welcome hotter than a dodgy halftime pie. Sky Sports, fuming, called the ban “unprecedented and unwelcome,” opting to broadcast from London instead. Neville, backed by his bosses, chose to skip the coverage entirely, probably to avoid a pitch-side showdown with Marinakis.
As Forest chase Champions League glory, and qualification criteria, this spat feels like a sitcom subplot. Will Neville sneak in disguised as a hot dog vendor? Probably not, but the banter’s just getting started.
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