Search
22 Oct 2025
Search
22 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
West Midlands Police did not “fail anybody” in making the assessment which led to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans being banned from a match against Aston Villa, the force’s chief constable has said.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) which is responsible for issuing safety certificates for all matches at Villa Park said last week that visiting fans would be barred from attending the Europa League match on November 6 amid safety concerns.
The SAG decision was based on WMP’s risk assessment, which classified the match as “high risk”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer led the criticism of the ban on Maccabi fans, describing it as the “wrong decision”, with the Government pledging to work “at pace” to overturn it and asking WMP to review its original risk assessment.
This is the wrong decision.
We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.
The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.https://t.co/8aBeqE4qbA
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2025
The Guardian has reported the original assessment identified the threat of Maccabi fans instigating trouble as the biggest risk to safety. The PA news agency understands that report has not been challenged by the police.
The force’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, insisted the assessment was based on intelligence and told the BBC on Wednesday: “Birmingham hasn’t failed anybody and neither has West Midlands Police.
“I’ve read some of the intelligence that’s been received and the assessment that’s been made. It’s based on professional judgement.
“Decisions have to be respected if they are made. They are made with good, grounded understanding of the threat and what the risk is. Our job as the police is to try and keep everyone safe.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons on Monday the risk assessment was “based in no small part on the risk posed to those fans that are attending who support Maccabi because they are Israeli, and because they are Jewish”.
She said the country “should be appalled” by that.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has been approached for comment.
Maccabi announced on Monday night they would decline any offer of tickets, saying a “toxic atmosphere” had been created around the match which put the safety of travelling fans in doubt.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
