Sky Sports back Gary Neville after Nottingham Forest ban him from their stadium for last game

Sky Sports back their pundit Gary Neville after Nottingham Forest decided to ban him from their stadium for the last game of the season.

Gary has been banned from from attending the final Premier League match against Chelsea at the City Ground, denying him accreditation and access as a co-commentator.

This follows Neville’s criticism of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis on Twitter, the pundit had commented on Marinakis’ animated pitch-side discussion with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after a late goal in a 2-2 draw against Leicester City earlier in May 2025.

“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,” Neville wrote on twitter the same day.

Forest later denied Marinakis’ exchange with Nuno was a “confrontation” and described subsequent reaction to the situation as “fake news online” and warned against ‘baseless and ill-informed outrage of the purposes of personal social media traction’.

The club then issued a statement on the incident, saying Marinakis was frustrated that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play after an 88th-minute injury, with the player needing urgent surgery.

Neville then spoke on the upset at Forest while doing his podcast this week, turning to the camera to sarcastically say “Sorry Mr Marinakis!” when joking about owners entering the pitch.

Nott’m Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis issues statement after Nuno explains confrontation

Inevitable and about time! Now let’s hope that other clubs follow suit and get this clown and his even thicker sidekick banned from all of the grounds and force Sky to have a major rethink. 👏👏. https://t.co/hHVO8xfA7N

— Simon Lester (@SimonLester24) May 23, 2025

Nottingham Forest speak on ‘confrontation’ with Taiwo Awoniyi placed in an induced coma

Gary Neville has now revealed the has been banned by the club: “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.

“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.”

Nottingham Forest have banned Gary Neville from The City Ground 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😭 pic.twitter.com/gZoBUcl4A8

— Football Fights (@footbalIfights) May 23, 2025

Some of the replies to Gary Neville’s statement 😳 #NFFC pic.twitter.com/oDNQEJoUnl

— Forest Review (@Forest_Review) May 23, 2025

David Beckham replied via Instagram: “Must of been something to do with that 7 – 1 game back in the day 😂 @gneville2 @manchesterunited”

Jamie Carragher said: “😂😂😂😂😂😂”

Sky said that Nottingham Forest’s decision to ban Neville from covering their game against Chelsea as an “unprecedented and unwelcome step,” and view it as an attack on freedom of speech and a broadcaster that pays significantly for TV rights.

Sky picked to show Forest v Chelsea, with all eyes on Champions League qualification, as their main Sunday broadcast.

In response to Forest’s ban, Sky have decided to back Neville fully, saying they will broadcast from their West London studios instead of the stadium, whole a full commentary team will be present at the game, without Neville. The presentation will be remote rather than from an on-site studio.

Neville chose not to participate in the coverage, a decision Sky supports.

Last year, Forest received an apology from Sky over language used by Neville following their game at Everton.

After a 2-0 defeat in which Forest felt they were denied three penalties, the club then issued an explosive tweet, questioning the appointment of Stuart Attwell as VAR. See more on that HERE.

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.’

Here’s how fans reacted as Sky Sports back Gary Neville after Nottingham Forest decided to ban him from their stadium for the last game of the season…

@kevward3: Gary Neville discovering you can’t just blurt out scandalous accusations about a football owner and expect zero consequences. 🤣 Brilliant from Marinakis. @SkyFootball have to look at the people who represent them so disgracefully. Get Nev and Carra in the bin. #nffc

@MattCas04807118: I hope others do the same.😊 Telling us what we should do and see when he was the worst manager in Valencia’s history.

@CityGroundShelf: Gary Neville is well within his rights to say as he pleases. But you can’t call the ownership model at Forest “ mafia like “ and demand for Nuno to resign based around a lack of context post Leicester and not expect consequence.

@NGS1982: Good. Sky need to have a look at themselves

@BennyBoyTips: I speak for all Football Fans. We stand with Nottingham Forest 👏

@CapitalR: It’s not like Gary Neville would have had the balls to turn up after his remarks anyway 😂

@MndHntr74: Fuck Gary neville @SkySports this blokes thinks he’s bigger than football.. You’ve given him an ego he doesn’t deserve. He’s out of order and this has been coming nffc

@rob_dawson1: I think the club can take criticism. It’s allegations of mafia behaviour the owner takes exception to (which he never withdrew or apologised for). While we’re at it, his criticisms are ill informed and inaccurate.

@PForty_: Well done @NFFC, what a football club.

@NFFC_EPL: This isn’t just a Marinakis decision. 25,000 plus reds in attendance also want that weasel Neville nowhere near the city ground. He called our owner blind and told our manager to leave us, but never once wished the player undergoing a life saving surgery well. Classy 👍 #NFFC

@brucemillington: Forest have brilliant fans and have had a superb season. But whoever has made this decision has embarrassed the whole club. Grow up.

@WiggyAFC: Arsenal should do the same. Sky’s fell off a cliff, Neville and Carragher are horrendous, biased pundits. Fucking Baller League and YouTubers everywhere.

@M_J_Wallace: Exceptionally worrying. Happening in boxing now football. A pundit’s job is to say it as they see it rightly or wrongly.