Enckelman was the culprit for a defensive error in a hotly contested local derby (Birmingham City v Aston Villa (3–0) on 16 September 2002); as Olof Mellberg took a quick defensive throw-in to the keeper, Enckelman took his eye off the ball and as he was unable to control it, it slid under his foot and rolled in to the goal. There is some debate over whether the goal should have stood, as the rules state that a goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. The ball was adjudged to, yet did not appear, to scrape against the studs of his boot. Enckelman has stated on numerous occasions that he did not touch the ball prior to it entering the net. The incident led to further controversy when a rival fan charged onto the pitch and approached Enckelman, before making an offensive gesture directly to his face. The fan was later arrested and jailed, and Enckelman was praised for his refusal to retaliate.