Ex-PGMOL chief reacts to Norwich City vs Ipswich Town penalty controversy
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Credit: Imago Sat 11 April 2026 18:22, UK Keith Hackett has insisted that Ipswich Town should not have been awarded a penalty during their 2-0 victory over Norwich City.Saturday’s East Anglian derby was one of the biggest fixtures in the Championship this weekend, with the Tractor Boys pushing for automatic promotion.However, despite Norwich coming into the game on fine form, they found themselves 1-0 down after just 11 minutes, thanks to Jaden Philogene’s penalty.Yet, the decision to award this was highly controversial after Jack Clarke was deemed to have been fouled inside the box.As a result, Hackett has insisted that Anthony Backhouse made the wrong decision as the Championship promotion race took another twist.Keith Hackett: Ipswich should not have been awarded a penalty kick vs NorwichWith Norwich also pushing to get into the playoffs before the season ends, both sides were desperate for a victory regardless of the derby tensions. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES However, fans inside Carrow Road were aggrieved when Anis Ben Slimane was adjudged to have brought down Clarke inside the box.Match stats Norwich CityIpswich TownPossession 67.1%32.9%Shots 159Shots on target35xG0.751.97Corners 131Norwich had the majority of the ball against IpswichThe Norwich star was attempting to clear the ball, but Clarke came in from behind and was clipped by Ben Slimane before going to ground.After initially seeing no problem with the challenge, Backhouse eventually gave the penalty, much to the anger of the hosts.Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett insists that this decision was the wrong one.He said: “I am not convinced that this was a foul.
The referee initially ignored it and then suddenly stopped and went back towards the penalty kick, almost as an afterthought.“The Assistant was happy, you can see him running up field and no flag.“Another incident in the Championship where VAR would have intervened.“No penalty kick for me.”Are Ipswich still favourites for automatic promotion?With Coventry’s place in the Premier League next season looking certain, the race is on for who will join them inside the automatic promotion zones.On top of the win against Norwich, Ipswich’s weekend couldn’t have got much better, with Middlesbrough also losing to Portsmouth.As a result, Opta on 11 April now believes that they have an 85.36 per cent chance of getting automatic promotion.In comparison, Millwall have just a 6.58 per cent chance, and Middlesbrough’s odds stand at 4.66 per cent. 🏆 Championship Insider Access Get the full story from across the EFL with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from across the EFL Championship.