West Brom forward Aune Heggebo has been banned for two games for ‘deliberately deceiving’ an official when scoring with his hand against Norwich.
Heggebo was handed the punishment by the FA under the charge E3.1 following the Baggies’ 2-1 win over Norwich in the Championship on Saturday. His controversial second-half strike stood to the anger of the home side and their bench despite clearly hitting Heggebo’s arm before ending up in the net.
The Norwegian denied the improper conduct charge, but his submission was rejected by an independent regulatory commission following a hearing, and he was then given the two-match ban.
In a statement, West Brom confirmed it is understood to be the first disciplinary case of its nature following an alteration to rules put in place at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign. They had previously argued in their appeal, based on their viewing, that the ball ricochetted off Norwich stopper Tim Krul and onto the arm of Heggebo, which meant it was an unfortunate handball.
Despite the commission’s verdict, West Brom backed their player and wondered how players should respond. “The club will now write to the FA requesting clarification on how a player is reasonably expected to react should similar circumstances arise in the future,” a statement read.
West Brom also leapt to the defence of Heggebo’s integrity.
“Heggebo remains a strong character who is wholly committed to this football club and we fully support him in this matter.” Heggebo’s suspension means he will be absent for West Brom’s two subsequent Championship fixtures.
