A FIVE-MATCH stadium ban imposed on Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will stay in place after an appeal against the sanction was dismissed.

The Greek shipping magnate was sanctioned for misconduct on October 18, with the written reasons revealing the following week that the punishment was imposed for spitting on the floor in front of the match officials following Forest’s match against Fulham on September 28.

Forest immediately indicated their intention to appeal, but the Football Association announced on Monday that an appeal board had dismissed the challenge.