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West Midlands Police have firmly denied any conspiracy in their decision to prohibit Israeli football supporters from attending a match held in Birmingham, emphasizing that the ban was entirely motivated by safety concerns. This statement came after senior police officials and representatives from Birmingham City Council faced scrutiny from Members of Parliament regarding their choice to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Europa League match against Aston Villa on 6 November. Chief Constable Craig Guildford maintained the reliability of intelligence that justified the ban, despite a letter from Dutch police seemingly contradicting some of the force’s claims about previous behavior of Maccabi supporters. The Home Affairs Committee has indicated that it will seek further information from Dutch police to clarify outstanding questions.
The decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to classify the match as “high risk” was influenced by reports of disturbances linked to earlier Maccabi matches. However, a letter obtained by the BBC from Dutch police appeared to challenge the accuracy of West Midlands Police’s assertions about Maccabi fans’ conduct. This has prompted criticism from various politicians, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In response, Chief Constable Guildford defended his officers’ integrity and cited violent clashes plus hate crimes connected to a recent Europa League fixture in Amsterdam—between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv—as grounds for the ban. He rejected suggestions from MPs questioning whether figures related to Dutch police deployment had been fabricated, describing such insinuations as “not fair” and stating the numbers were professional estimates.
During the parliamentary inquiry, Guildford was questioned about whether the ban was politically influenced, which he denied, emphasizing that each event is assessed individually with lessons learned from past experiences. Labour MP Joani Reid highlighted minutes from Safety Advisory Group meetings suggesting that the decision to ban fans was made despite a lack of intelligence at the time. The police explained that threats came from local “vigilante groups” who intended to target Maccabi fans, which further supported their safety concerns. Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara affirmed that the police received substantial intelligence indicating there was a risk of violence against Maccabi supporters, justifying their preventive measures.
City council officials also came under examination for their role in the decision-making process. Council leader John Cotton, along with other council executives, acknowledged concerns about the information presented to the SAG but refrained from expressing full confidence in Chief Constable Guildford. They admitted that the meeting minutes may not have fully reflected the discussion and faced criticism from the committee over a perceived bias that portrayed pressure from two councillors actively opposing the attendance of away fans. Questions were raised about the appropriateness of these councillors’ involvement in the SAG given their public campaigning against the match. Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp demanded Guildford’s resignation, labeling his position “untenable,” and urged the Home Secretary to clarify her knowledge of the situation. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has also indicated a potential investigation into how West Midlands Police managed the decision to implement the ban
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