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West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council leaders are set to face parliamentary scrutiny regarding their decision to prohibit Israeli football supporters from attending a match in Birmingham last year. The ban involved fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv during their November fixture against Aston Villa. This move drew criticism from the prime minister and various politicians, some of whom argued it amounted to antisemitism.
The decision was based on safety concerns cited by West Midlands Police, who claimed previous disturbances involving Maccabi fans justified the ban. However, BBC News has obtained a letter from the Dutch police inspectorate dated December, which appears to contradict the West Midlands Police’s descriptions of the fans’ behaviour. Despite these challenges, the police maintain that their primary motivation was protecting local residents.
The announcement to proceed with the match without Maccabi supporters came in October, roughly three weeks ahead of the scheduled game. Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group, which includes council officials, police, and the football club, labelled the event as “high risk” due to unrest during past Maccabi matches. Despite widespread political criticism, the fixture went ahead without away fans present.
Craig Guildford, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, and John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, will both be questioned by the Home Affairs Select Committee. Guildford has been summoned again after his initial testimony last month. The controversy sparked in October when the Safety Advisory Group justified the ban, citing safety concerns and incidents involving Maccabi fans in Amsterdam in November 2024. Claims included assaults directed at Muslim communities and the need for an extremely large police presence. However, Dutch authorities have disputed these allegations. A senior Dutch police officer previously denied the accuracy of the West Midlands Police’s version, and the Dutch Inspector General recently reinforced this position, stating there was no new evidence warranting a revision of the findings.
Conservative MP Nick Timothy, who requested the Dutch Inspector General’s involvement, stated, “The facts on the ground in Amsterdam do not remotely resemble what West Midlands Police has claimed.” Leaked minutes from Safety Advisory Group meetings reveal the police favoured the ban despite an “absence of intelligence,” basing their preference on “conversations with peers and my professional judgment.” Birmingham council officials expressed concerns that the ban might be misconstrued as antisemitic and requested more evidence from the police regarding its necessity for public safety. At a later October meeting, police claimed that “significant intelligence” existed indicating the potential for disorder connected to recent Maccabi fixtures. West Midlands Police have been contacted for comment on these developments
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