Manchester United versus Liverpool, Arsenal versus Tottenham, Inter versus AC, Boca Juniors against the River Plate- these are just some of the rivalries in world football.
In recent years, some football rivalries have been arguably a bit more ‘manufactured’. With the greatest respect to Crystal Palace and Brighton fans, this is no local derby.
Other rivalries that have come about in recent years are Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as Arsenal and Man City. People of a certain generation (mine) will remember that City’s rivals, United, shared the stage with Arsenal and, as initially mentioned, with The Reds.
Ladies and gents, I want to bring to your attention another football rivalry. Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. On paper, this isn’t your most fierce rivalry, and you will be forgiven for asking why this classifies as one.
The reasons are a few; it started when Palace and Forest were battling for European places, and The Eagles finished in the Europa League places, but due to ownership issues, Palace lost their place in the Europa League and were demoted to the Europa Conference League.
Despite this setback, this isn’t what put this rivalry on the map. News emerged that Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is suing South London club Crystal Palace after their fans made a sign mocking him regarding Morgan Gibbs-White’s failed transfer to Tottenham last term.
The sign alleges that the former Wolves midfielder didn’t leave The City Ground due to their owner forcing him to stay at gunpoint. If those two points weren’t enough, then what about your manager, who became universally loved by the fanbase, leaving for the club whose owner is involved in a spat with those fans?
In plain terms. Oliver Glasner left Crystal Palace and then went on to take the job at Nottingham Forest. Maybe what started this football beef, if you want to call it that, is the fact that former Nottingham Forest player Brennan Johnson, via a diversion, wound up at Palace, through Notts Forest.
OH, and yes, that is a joke; I am being very tongue-in-cheek.
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