Wayne Hennessey's alleged Nazi salute could highlight wider issue in football, says Roy Hodgson

By Dan Sansom

Friday 19 April 2019 16:21, UK

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson says Wayne Hennessey's alleged Nazi salute could highlight an issue that is possibly "rife" in football.

Earlier this month, Palace goalkeeper Hennessey was cleared by the Football Association of making an offensive gesture during a team night out after he was pictured with one arm raised and one over his mouth, in what was alleged to be a Nazi salute.

However, the 32-year-old will face no punishment after an independent panel found Hennessey "did not know what a Nazi salute was".

They accepted he displayed "a very considerable - one might even say lamentable - degree of ignorance".

The panel went on to say Hennessey would be "well advised to familiarise himself with events which continue to have great significance to those who live in a free country", and Palace boss Hodgson believes the incident may highlight a wider issue in the sport.

"The fact that Wayne lacks education here is something that we as a club and Kick It Out need to take very much into consideration because maybe it's something that we haven't been quite so aware of," he said.

"We are talking about a period of history which maybe isn't being dealt with today in the education programme as it once was.

"We work very closely with Kick It Out so between us I think we will certainly be looking for a solution in the case of this one individual, but I would guess that this might be a subject that goes beyond one individual and we might just be highlighting something here with Wayne that is actually rife throughout football."

Hennessey was initially charged by the FA in January for allegedly bringing "the game into disrepute" and that his gesture "included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion and/or belief".

He denied the charge and requested a personal hearing, and an independent disciplinary commission found the charge "not proven".

Hodgson was pleased that the panel found Hennessey to be honest and says the Palace goalkeeper is keen to be educated following the incident.

"I think it was very important in the report that they made it perfectly clear that they found Wayne to be a very honest, kind and good individual and that's an important aspect that came out of it for me," he added.

"I've got no idea about the level of knowledge in relation to the Holocaust and the Second World War in other clubs or even in our club.

"It's something which we now know may well exist and will have to be dealt with. Together, the club and Kick It Out will sort it out certainly as far as Wayne's concerned because he's actually very desperate now to learn as much as he can."