Premier League club 'BAN' Gary Neville from their stadium and 'ask Sky to change commentary team'
A Premier League club has decided to effectively ban Gary Neville from entering their stadium for Sky Sports' coverage of the final day of the season.
Sky Sports will be showing two live matches on Sunday as the race for the final three Champions League places reaches its final act.
They are going to be covering Nottingham Forest's clash against Chelsea, while champions Liverpool versus FA Cup winners Crystal Palace is also live.
However, the Daily Mail report that Neville has been effectively barred from the City Ground by Forest, with the club requesting that Sky change their commentary team for the match.
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It is claimed that Forest believe Neville's presence at the City Ground would 'cause a hostile welcome from fans' given previous comments about the club and its owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The report adds that Forest, who currently sit seventh in the Premier League and could qualify for the Champions League next season if results go their way on Sunday, have 'formally complained' to Sky about the Manchester United legend.
Sky Sports are said to have described the actions of Forest as 'unprecedented and unwelcome', and that the broadcaster will now present from their headquarters in West London instead of at the City Ground.
Neville, meanwhile, is understood to have 'chosen not to be part of the coverage', with Sky planning to have an alternative commentary team for the fixture.
Last April, Neville described Forest's actions as similar to a 'mafia gang' after the club's 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side were denied three potential penalties in the fixture, with an official club statement questioning the integrity of VAR official Stuart Attwell due to his support of relegation rivals Luton Town.
Marinakis threatened to launch legal action against Neville over the comments, and The Telegraph reported earlier this week that the United legend's name was included in legal documents lodged with the High Court earlier this month.
And after Forest's 2-2 draw with Leicester earlier this month, Neville again criticised Marinakis for entering the pitch after the full-time whistle and remonstrating with Nuno.
Before commentating of Liverpool versus Arsenal, he stated on-air: "I think what the Forest owner's just done on the pitch at the City Ground is ridiculous.
"If I was Nuno, I'd be having very strong words with him, because that's an absolute scandal.
"They've just qualified for a European competition, from where that club's been, and to remonstrate on that pitch in front of the club's fans is an absolute joke."
Marinakis would subsequently clarify that his anger was not with Nuno, but instead with the decision of his club's staff to permit striker Taiwo Awoniyi to play on after suffering a serious abdominal injury.
The Nigerian heavily collided with a post and received lengthy treatment, but was allowed to continue before it became clear that he had to be substituted.
He underwent surgery on the injury on the following Monday, before being placed in an induced coma for around 48 hours.
It was later revealed that he suffered a ruptured intestine - an injury which can, in some cases, be fatal.
On Sunday, Awoniyi posted an update to fans on his Instagram page, writing: "To my family, friends and football fans, thank you for the support, and to everyone back home in Nigeria who has checked in on me, prayed for me and left kind words, thank you.
"I see them. I feel them. And I carry them with me every day as I recover. Come on you Reds."
Forest would subsequently condemn comments made by 'former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game'.
"We urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context - least of all the injured player," they stated.
Neville did apologise to Marinakis on The Overlap's Stick to Football - during a discussion about music icon Bruce Springsteen's ongoing UK tour.
When Neville stated he would 'never' approach Springsteen while he was staying in the hotel that he owns, Carragher asked: "What, is that like an owner going on to a football pitch?"
The United legend laughed before replying: "Sorry Mr Marinakis!"
Topics: Gary Neville, Sky Sports, Premier League
Ryan Smart