Wayne Hennessey: FA rule Crystal Palace goalkeeper’s ‘Nazi salute’ is not an offensive gesture
The FA has decided against charging Hennessey over an incident which led the Palace goalkeeper to deny making a Nazi salute
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Your support makes all the difference.The Football Association has decided against charging Wayne Hennessey over an incident which led the Crystal Palace goalkeeper to deny making a Nazi salute.
Wales international Hennessey appeared to be making the gesture in a picture posted on Instagram by Palace's German midfielder Max Meyer in January, as the players celebrated their FA Cup win against Grimsby on Saturday night.
Hennessey was seen in the background of a group photograph posted on Meyer's Instagram story, which has subsequently expired.
However charges against the 31-year-old have been dropped after an Independent Regulatory Commission found he had not breached FA rules.
“Wayne Hennessey has had a charge against him for a breach of FA Rule E3 found not proven by an Independent Regulatory Commission,” the FA said in a statement.
“It was alleged that a gesture he made, which was captured by a photograph and posted on social media, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute, contrary to FA Rule E3(1).
“It was alleged that a gesture he made, which was captured by a photograph and posted on social media, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute, contrary to FA Rule E3(1).
“The Crystal Palace goalkeeper had denied the charge and requested a personal hearing.”
Hennessey had denied he was making a such a salute, claiming on Twitter that he was calling out to the person taking the photograph.
“Yesterday evening I had a meal with my team mates and we had a group photograph,” Hennessey wrote on the day after the incident. “I waved and shouted at the person taking the picture to get on with it and at the same time put my hand over my mouth to make the sound carry.
“It's been brought to my attention that frozen in a moment by the camera this looks like I am making a completely inappropriate type of salute.
“I can assure everyone I would never ever do that and any resemblance to that kind of gesture is absolutely coincidental. Love and peace Wayne.”
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