FA accused of ‘chess move’ with ‘disgraceful’ and unprecedented ban for handball

The FA’s decision to retrospectively ban Aune Heggebo following his handball is a ‘power play’ by the governing body to implement VAR.

Heggebo scored a goal with his hand during West Brom’s 2-1 win over Norwich City last weekend.

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However, the FA handed the Norwegian a two-match suspension for ‘successfully deceive a match official by handling the ball in a direct successful attempt to score a goal’.

The Baggies unsuccessfully appealed the decision, meaning the 25-year-old will miss this weekend’s league meeting with Burnley, live on talkSPORT 2, and the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United.

One caller on Friday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, however, believes Heggebo’s ban is a ploy by the FA to bring VAR into the Championship.

Unlike the Premier League, clubs in the EFL, who overlook the Championship, League One and League Two, voted against implementing the Video Assistant Referee.

‘Look at the bigger picture’

That may change soon, however, should the caller’s suggestion come to fruition.

“People have got to look at the bigger picture. This is a massive chess move,” West Ham fan, Ian, told Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour.

“The Championship clubs voted against it [VAR].

“Every deliberate dive, every deliberate shirt pull. They’re all an attempt at deception of the referee.

“You can’t change the narrative depending on whether the match officials see it or not.

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“To ban a player for two games, they will turn around and say: ‘Well if you had VAR, that would have been picked up in the booth and you wouldn’t be looking at a two-game ban’.

“So for me, this is just a power play towards trying to influence people to think that VAR should be a good thing for the Championship.

“They need to see through it.”

‘Disgraceful decision’

Brazil and Parlour were later joined on the show by a West Brom fan, who was in uproar about the decision to ban Heggebo.

“I think it’s a disgraceful decision to be giving a player a two match ban for something the referee has missed,” Baggies supporter Jordan told the pair.

“I don’t think that should resort in going to VAR, to be honest.

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“The referees just need to be better.

“They can’t be handing out players two match bans for something that they’ve missed.”

Parlour believes this decision will open a ‘can of worms’ in the Championship, adding: “Totally right. There’s going to be loads of incidents now in the Championship, isn’t there? Loads and loads of incidents.”

West Brom’s welcome of Burnley kicks off at 12pm on Sunday 23 August.

What has the FA said?

Confirming the punishment in a statement, the FA spokesperson said: “West Bromwich Albion’s Aune Heggebo has been given a two-match ban for successful deception of a match official during their EFL Championship match against Norwich City on Saturday 15 August.

“It was alleged that the player acted in an improper manner in or around the 75th minute of the match, whereby he successfully deceived a match official by handling the ball in a direct and successful attempt to score a goal, contrary to FA Rule E3.1.

“Aune Heggebo denied the charge against him, however an independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed this sanction following a hearing.

“The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons will be published in due course.”