Nottingham Forest have denied accreditation to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville from working at their City Ground stadium for the final day of the Premier League campaign.
Neville was scheduled to be involved in Sky’s coverage for Forest’s home match against Chelsea on Sunday, with both sides aiming to secure a top-five league finish and a place in next season’s Champions League.
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Sky have described Forest’s denial of accreditation to former Manchester United defender Neville, who had been due to co-commentate on the match, as an “unprecedented and unwelcome step”.
The broadcaster have now decided to reverse their plan of presenting the match from the City Ground stadium and their studio analysts will instead film in their Sky Studios in west London, with Neville deciding he would not take part in the coverage — a decision Sky say they “fully support”.
Sky, who had planned for their 50-year-old pundit to have two security staff for the match, have said their commentary team of the match will be located at Forest’s City Ground.
Forest’s decision is not in breach of Premier League rules, which allow clubs to decide who they allow media accreditation.
Responding to the accreditation denial, Neville posted on his Instagram account on Friday: “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.”
What has led Forest to take this decision?
In July last year, Sky apologised to Forest for “any offence caused” after Neville accused the club of acting like a “mafia gang” following a statement the club released after their 2-0 loss at Everton three months earlier.
Forest sent Sky a legal letter following Neville’s comments, which had followed the Premier League club publicly criticising the officiating on social media following that defeat at Goodison Park.
Former England international right-back Neville also said the club were acting “like a petulant child, it’s embarrassing”.
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Forest were later charged by the Football Association (FA) in relation to the post regarding the officiating in their side’s loss at Everton.
An independent panel, made up of three ex-players or coaches, a representative of the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) and a Premier League representative, later unanimously agreed that Forest should have had one penalty during the Everton game, for Ashley Young’s 55th-minute challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Neville has not been involved in any coverage at the City Ground for Sky in the 2024-25 campaign.
Has anything else happened?
Neville was critical of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis after he entered the pitch to confront the club’s head coach Nuno Espirito Santo following a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City earlier this month.
The Forest owner could be seen having an animated conversation with the head coach on the edge of the pitch immediately following a frustrating 2-2 draw that put a dent in the club’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification.
Neville called on Nuno to consider leaving the club following the incident, which the Portuguese head coach described as a “miscommunication” over Forest using their final available substitution with striker Taiwo Awoniyi remaining on the pitch despite colliding with a post.
A frustrated mood at the final whistle was underlined when Marinakis appeared to rant at Nuno as he made his way off the pitch.
“Scandalous from that Forest owner,” Neville posted following the incident. “Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.”
Additional reporting by Dan Sheldon and Paul Taylor.
(Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
