The head of West Midlands Police has issued a formal apology to a parliamentary committee after the force provided misleading evidence concerning the controversial ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from a Europa League match at Aston Villa.
Apology for Misleading Evidence
Chief Constable Craig Guildford wrote to the cross-party Home Affairs Select Committee, admitting there was no documented support from Jewish community representatives for the ban prior to the decision being made. This directly contradicts evidence given by Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara on 1 December.
In his letter, published by the committee on Tuesday 30 December 2025, Mr Guildford stated: "We can confirm that there is no documented feedback from Jewish representatives prior to the decision being communicated which expressed support for the ban." He and ACC O'Hara apologised for any confusion caused, insisting there was no intention to mislead.
The Contentious Ban and Political Fallout
The ban was imposed for the November Europa League match at Villa Park. West Midlands Police pushed for the prohibition through Birmingham City Council's Safety Advisory Group, citing potential threats from Maccabi hooligans and recent racist chanting.
The decision sparked a political row, being challenged by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Israeli club itself. Maccabi Tel Aviv argued that West Midlands Police had mischaracterised violence around a 2024 match in the Netherlands, underplaying attacks on their fans by locals in Amsterdam.
Chief Constable Guildford provided MPs with the UK Football Policing Unit's notes from a call with Dutch police. These included claims that "Maccabi fans prepared to confront and fight officers" and referenced a "national mobilisation of Muslim youths" and "hit and run style attacks on Maccabi fans".
Ongoing Scrutiny and Independent Review
Both police chiefs have been recalled to appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee on next Tuesday, a rare move by MPs. Officials from Birmingham City Council will also be questioned.
The council has now confirmed to committee chair Dame Karen Bradley that it is commissioning a law firm to conduct an independent review of the decision-making process to improve governance.
In a further revelation, West Midlands Police confirmed to MPs that a subsequent visit by Swiss club Young Boys to Villa Park was classified only as a medium risk, unlike the high-risk Maccabi game. This is despite Young Boys having three sets of UEFA punishments for fan unrest since 2023. Sky News revealed that officers were assaulted by Young Boys fans, leading to one jail sentence and three other charges.
The police letter did not address how their original intelligence assessment for Maccabi referenced a previous match in England against West Ham in 2023 that never actually took place.
Since the Villa match, UEFA has punished Maccabi Tel Aviv for anti-Palestinian racist chanting at a match in Germany against Stuttgart. The club received a €20,000 (approx. £17,500) fine and a suspended ban on taking fans to an away match in Europe.
