Beckham couldn't help making a cheeky comment as Gary Neville speaks out on Nottingham Forest's ban

Time of India

23-05-2025

Image: Instagram
Neville banned from city ground as feud reaches boiling point
A long-simmering feud between Gary Neville and Nottingham Forest exploded this week after the
Premier League
club banned the former
Manchester United
defender from attending their final match of the season, a high-stakes clash against Chelsea on May 25, 2025, that could decide
Champions League
qualification.
Neville broke his silence on Instagram, revealing he had been blocked from commentating at the City Ground:
'I was contacted by Sky Sports earlier on in the week and told that I would be commentating at the City Ground... I was informed yesterday... 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.'
He continued:
'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...
I think it's disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision.'
Sky Sports responded by calling Forest's move 'unprecedented and unwelcome' and moved their broadcast to their West London studio. Neville also chose not to appear on the revised coverage.
Beckham revives memories of 1999
Fuel was added to the fire when David Beckham, a close friend and longtime teammate of Neville from Manchester United's iconic Class of '92 — dropped a cheeky comment under Neville's post:
'Must of been something to do with that 7 - 1 game back in the day @gneville2 @manchesterunited.'
Fans quickly corrected the typo — it was 8–1, not 7–1
Neville replied with a laughing emoji, keeping the banter light, but the reference struck a nerve.
The post, humorous on the surface, tapped into deeper tensions tied to a historic thrashing.
The 8–1 game: A humiliation that still stings
Beckham's comment alludes to a Premier League match on February 6, 1999, when Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 8–1 at the City Ground, a record-breaking away victory at the time, and still one of the most brutal scorelines in Premier League history.
It remained the largest away win in Premier League history for 20 years, until Leicester City beat Southampton 9–0 in 2019.
Beckham and Neville both played key roles in that match, Beckham orchestrating the attack with his signature crosses, and Neville contributing from right-back with overlapping runs and defensive solidity.
The match was part of United's legendary 1998–99 treble-winning campaign. For Forest, it marked their heaviest home defeat in Premier League history and contributed to a disastrous relegation season.
Beckham's comment jokingly suggested Forest's decision to ban Neville might be linked to lingering resentment over that humiliating day.
A feud years in the making: From mafia comments to medical outrage
The friction between Neville and Nottingham Forest began long before the latest social media sparring. It's a feud layered with public criticism, legal threats, and mounting distrust, particularly involving Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
April 2024: 'Mafia Gang' Controversy
After Forest issued a controversial statement questioning VAR officiating in a 2–0 loss to Everton, citing the VAR official's alleged Luton Town allegiance — Neville reacted sharply on Sky Sports:
'Like a mafia gang statement...
embarrassing... a scandal.'
The club responded with a legal letter to Sky Sports. In July 2024, Sky issued an apology, and Neville agreed to refrain from using similar language. Marinakis condemned Neville's comments as 'inappropriate' and 'harmful', and hinted at legal consequences.
May 2025: Marinakis Storms the Pitch
Tensions surged again after a 2–2 draw with Leicester City on May 11, 2025. Cameras caught Marinakis storming the pitch to confront manager Nuno Espirito Santo about the club's handling of striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who had collided with a goalpost and was later diagnosed with a ruptured intestine, requiring emergency surgery and being placed in an induced coma.
Neville was scathing in real-time:
'What the Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous... If I was Nuno, I'd be going and having a very strong word with him.'
He followed up on X (formerly Twitter):
'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.'
Forest issued a statement condemning 'baseless and ill-informed outrage,' saying:
'Let concern come before commentary...
At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence — over media narratives, inflammatory judgements, and certainly over self-promotion.'
They also denied there was a confrontation between Marinakis and Nuno.
May 2025: The City Ground Ban
The club then took the extraordinary step of banning Neville from Sunday's broadcast, citing fears that his presence would provoke hostility from fans.
Sky Sports said the move was 'unprecedented,' and restructured its entire matchday coverage.
Neville, notably, withdrew himself from the studio broadcast altogether.
Libel Suit Ties
Adding to the tension, Neville's name was cited in a £2.1 million libel lawsuit filed by Marinakis against two individuals accused of running a smear campaign. Though Neville was not directly involved, his comments were referenced in the broader context, adding another layer of animosity.
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