Aston Villa-Maccabi ban latest: Police commissioner demands review of decision to block Tel Aviv fans

Discussions are happening “at pace, across Government” to resolve the ban on Israeli fans attending a football game in Birmingham, Downing Street has said.

A No 10 spokesman told reporters: “Conversations began on this last night.

“You will have seen the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has asked police and Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group to immediately review the decision.

“Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is meeting officials to discuss what more can be done to try and find a way through to resolve this, and what more can be done to allow fans to attend the game safely.

“The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, spoke to the local council this morning, and the Home Office is urgently working to support police to try and find a way through this.

“You can expect to hear further updates today. I won’t pre-empt the conversations, but these are happening at pace, across Government, with all the relevant groups to find and resolve this.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said “It did surprise me” after Birmingham City authorities announced a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in the city.

“Whatever big events take place, a lot of work takes place to make sure it happens safely,” he said.

“I’m not sure of the details in relation to the decision taken by the West Midlands Police or the local SAG, all I know is what I’ve seen in the media.

“It did surprise me in terms of all away fans being banned from a certain team.

He added: “Lets wait and see what decision the council and the police take as a consequence of the concerns raised by the decision.”

The decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match in Birmingham should be reviewed if the Government will finance some policing costs, the mayor of the West Midlands has said.

Richard Parker wrote on social media: “Football is about bringing people together. Everyone who loves the game should have the chance to attend.

“The first priority is the safety of individuals in and around Birmingham and Villa Park – that is paramount. Whilst I respect West Midlands Police, if the government are willing to support in terms of resource then there should be a review of the decision that has been made.

“Whilst I don’t oversee policing in the region, I want to work alongside Aston Villa, the government, the Home Office, the council and West Midlands Police to broker a solution that keeps the spirit of inclusive and accessible sport alive – whilst ensuring the safety of local people and visitors.

“I’d like all parties to work together to find a workable solution that can be implemented.”

The honorary president of Aston Villa Jewish Villans supporters’ club, Andrew Fox, said the decision to stop fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending the club’s Europa League match in Birmingham sends a “really worrying message” about British society.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “Like I said it’s not just about Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“It’s obviously about much wider issues surrounding the Gaza war, and that sends a really worrying message about British society – that we aren’t civilised enough to have a debate over this without it descending into football violence or violent attacks on fans who are coming from another country just because we disagree with that country’s policies.

“It just makes a very febrile political situation worse I think.”

Former Labour and now Independent MP Zarah Sultana has backed the bar on Israeli football fans attending the Aston Villa match and called for UEFA to “ban all Israeli teams”.

“Next UEFA must ban all Israeli teams. We cannot have normalisation with genocide and apartheid,” she wrote on X.

She said: “Apartheid South Africa was banned from the Olympics for 32 years.

“The same people who called Nelson Mandela a “terrorist” now say we can’t boycott apartheid Israel.

“They were on the wrong side of history then — and they’re on the wrong side of history now. You don’t have “normal relations” with genocide and apartheid.

Boycott, divestment and sanctions until Palestine is free.”

The prime minister’s objection to banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a match against Aston Villa in Birmingham was “irresponsible”, the Green Party’s deputy leader has said.

Mothin Ali said: “Everyone should be able to feel safe when they attend a football match, that’s non-negotiable.

“It’s irresponsible for Keir Starmer to question a safety decision of a local authority, especially when he is responsible for their chronic underfunding.”

Mr Ali also called for “a sporting and cultural boycott of all Israeli teams, like we saw for South African teams under apartheid”.

He said: “Under normal circumstances, supporters from across the fanbase should be allowed to attend and provision taken to ban violent elements, such as the ultras.

“But these are not normal circumstances: these games are taking place in the context of thousands of civilians being killed in Gaza, the illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and the upholding of a system of apartheid.”

The chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv said he did not want to take security issues lightly but said the team has travelled to places such as Turkey where he said the sentiment is “not so kind towards Israeli teams” but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jack Angelides said: “So I do find it somewhat difficult to understand why this has come to pass in the sense that our fans cannot be secure in attending this match.

“And also begs the question a little bit to be honest – well, there is a delegation coming of management, of players, and all the supporting staff, are we saying that they will be secure also or that there are issues with them?”

Asked if he thinks they will be secure, Mr Angelides said he trusts in the authorities and has not heard anything that has suggested they would not be.

He said there would normally be well over a thousand Maccabi fans expected at the game.

West Midlands police and crime commissioner Simon Foster has called for Birmingham council officials and West Midlands Police to review the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the club’s Europa League match at Aston Villa in November.

In a statement, he said: “The safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands, is my top priority. That is absolute, unconditional and non-negotiable.

“I have today requested Birmingham City Council Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and West Midlands Police (WMP) convene a special SAG at the earliest possible opportunity and conduct an immediate review of the decision to prohibit the attendance of away fans at the football match between Aston Villa FC v Maccabi Tel Aviv FC, on Thursday November 6.

“The purpose of my request for a review is to enable the SAG and WMP to determine whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. That must include consideration of all and any suitable alternative options.

“My request for a review of this decision has included a request for immediate sight of the written decision and recommendation of the SAG, the event operational plan, the assessment carried out by WMP and any other documentation relevant to the decision and recommendation.

“The purpose of my request for sight of this documentation is to satisfy myself on an evidence-led and informed basis as to whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, including whether all and any suitable alternative options have been considered.

“However, let me be clear: any decision or recommendation is ultimately a matter for the Birmingham City Council SAG and the independent, objective and impartial operational policing judgment of West Midlands Police.

“I repeat, the safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands, is my top priority.

“That is absolute, unconditional and non-negotiable.”