Forest owner banned for spitting towards officials

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was given a five-match stadium ban for spitting on the floor as match officials walked past in the tunnel, an independent regulatory commission has said.

Marinakis was found guilty of improper conduct for the incident following Forest's 1-0 Premier League defeat by Fulham at the City Ground on 28 September.

In publishing its written reasons behind the decision, the commission said there was "no excuse" for such an "an egregious display of disrespectful behaviour" that could "fuel disrespect towards match officials".

A separate commission's written reasons said Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White were punished for swearing at match officials following the 2-2 draw at Brighton on 22 September.

Nuno was given a three-match touchline ban after he was shown a red card, while Gibbs-White was given a one-match ban for his reaction to being sent off.

The commission accepted their admissions of guilt and genuine remorse as mitigation, but said Nuno's previous disciplinary charges counted against him.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, who was also sent off in the aftermath of the incident, received a £8,000 fine but avoided a touchline ban.

The spitting incident occurred after Forest's unbeaten start to the season came to an end following a VAR-awarded penalty to Fulham.

Referee Josh Smith, assistant referee James Mainwaring and fourth official Tim Robinson submitted written statements saying they saw Marinakis spitting on the floor in their direction as they made their way to the dressing room.

In his defence, Marinakis claimed that he had a hacking cough because he smokes two or three cigars a day and the incident was unintentional.

The commission rejected this defence, pointing to the fact none of the officials' statements mentioned coughing and CCTV footage of the tunnel backed up that assertion.

It said it believed Marinakis "deliberately spat in a disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt towards the match officials".

It concluded this was a case of serious misconduct that warranted a severe punishment to act as a deterrent.

Marinakis argued a ban from the tunnel and dressing room areas would suffice, but the commission disagreed given he is not required in those areas after games.

The commission read reports from referee Robert Jones and fourth official Anthony Taylor, who said Nuno and Gibbs-White swore at them following the midfielder's red card.

Nuno was also said to have "gesticulated aggressively" at Jones.

However, the statements added that Nuno apologised to the officials after the game. Both men wrote letters of apology to the commission and gave oral submissions.

The commission believed Gibbs-White's remorse and assertion that it would not happen again to be "genuine", offering enough mitigation for the standard two-game ban for being sent off for foul and abusive language to be reduced to one.

The commission praised Nuno for his honesty, even if it did not always help his case, with the former Wolves boss "stopping short of saying it would not happen again".

It said a one-match ban would have been appropriate had it not been for two previous incidents of misconduct, including a suspended one-match ban for comments following Forest's 2-0 defeat by Everton in April.

Therefore a two-match ban, plus activating the one-match suspended ban, was issued.