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Wayne Hennessey: Auschwitz Memorial offer keeper history lesson following Nazi salute ignorance
The Auschwitz Memorial have sent Wayne Hennessey a fact sheet and online lesson after the Crystal Palace goalkeeper avoided an FA charge by claiming he did not know what a Nazi salute was.
Welsh keeper Hennessey was photographed at a team meal with his right arm raised and left hand under his nose in January.
It was posted online by German team-mate Max Meyer and the 32-year-old faced plenty of outrage for the apparent gesture.
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He apologised for the ‘completely inappropriate’ salute and said it was ‘absolutely coincidental’ if it looked like a Nazi salute, claiming he was pointing at a waiter and had his hand over his mouth to make the sound carry.
Hennessey was cleared by an FA hearing of any wrongdoing after claiming he did not know what the Nazio salute was – the FA called it a ‘considerable degree of ignorance’.
That ruling has sparked further outrage and the Auschwitz Memorial have sent a Tweet to the keeper in an attempt to educate him.
“Wayne Hennessey – Hitler salute was one of important symbols of Nazism – the ideology of the Nazi Party (The National Socialist German Workers’ Party) that led to genocide,” it says.
.@WayneHennessey1 Hitler salute was one of important symbols of Nazism – the ideology of the Nazi Party (The National Socialist German Workers' Party) that led to genicide. Read what the symbol stands for & see online lesson about history of Auschwitz: https://t.co/45MCqODtva pic.twitter.com/MIljrzs3LO
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) April 17, 2019
“Read what the symbol stands for & see online lesson about history of Auschwitz.”
It then has a link to their website and an online lesson, as well as a fact sheet outlining what Nazis supported, what they opposed and how they were able to take and keep power.
The FA’s ruling has attracted plenty of criticism, with former Palace striker Ian Wright calling it ’embarrassing’, but the reasons for the decision were made clear in the statement.
“Improbable as that may seem to those of us of an older generation, we do not reject that assertion as untrue,” it said.
“In fact, when cross-examined about this, Mr Hennessey displayed a very considerable – one might even say lamentable – degree of ignorance about anything to do with Hitler, fascism and the Nazi regime.
“Regrettable though it may be that anyone should be unaware of so important a part of our own and world history, we do not feel we should therefore find he was not telling the truth about this.
“All we would say (at the risk of sounding patronising) is that Mr Hennessey would be well advised to familiarise himself with events which continue to have great significance to those who live in a free country.”
Kick It Out, the football-equality charity, added: “If Wayne Hennessey doesn’t know what a Nazi salute is, or understand its horrifying wider implications, then it’s vital that he receives appropriate education as a consequence.”
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