Home Affairs Committee Probes West Midlands Police Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans
The Home Affairs Committee is examining the decision by West Midlands Police and the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to ban away Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Europa League match against Aston Villa, scheduled for 6 November 2025 at Villa Park. Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton, along with other council leaders, is expected to give oral evidence following West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford's appearance before the committee on 6 January.
The council and SAG have announced plans for a formal independent, forward-looking review to be conducted by an external law firm to evaluate governance processes and explore potential improvements related to the decision.
Chief Constable Guildford provided intelligence details underpinning the ban, including notes from a 1 October meeting with Dutch police concerning a 2024 fixture between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Concerns raised included allegedly well-organised, armed fans. Additionally, police notes described incidents in Amsterdam involving attacks on Muslim taxi drivers, the burning of Palestinian flags, and the singing of anti-Muslim and anti-Gaza songs. There was also mention of a national mobilisation of Muslim youths, which led to about 2,000 Dutch police being deployed.
However, Lord Mann challenged several of these claims, stating they appeared to conflate different events and noting that only a single taxi-driver incident had occurred. Guildford acknowledged there was no documented feedback from Jewish representatives supporting the ban before it was communicated. Some members of the Jewish community privately expressed support afterward, and the police force emphasized its reportedly strong relations with the Jewish community.
The decision to impose the ban attracted widespread criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with some members of parliament suggesting antisemitism may have been a factor. Reports indicate that Amsterdam police do not recognize several Dutch-related claims reported by British authorities.
