West Midlands Police is under intense scrutiny over the intelligence it used to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a Europa League match at Aston Villa, with Dutch police now disputing key claims in a growing controversy.
Contested Intelligence and Political Fallout
The decision to prohibit Israeli fans from the fixture at Villa Park was made after the force concluded the match posed a high risk due to community tensions linked to the Gaza war. This assessment will be formally challenged on Monday when force leaders are questioned by the Home Affairs Select Committee.
The controversy deepens with the revelation that Aston Villa's subsequent Europa League game against Swiss club BSC Young Boys was classified only as a medium risk. This classification was assigned despite three UEFA disciplinary cases against the Swiss club since 2023 for fan unrest, which resulted in partial stadium bans. Following that match, some Young Boys fans clashed with police, and an Aston Villa player was left bloodied by a thrown plastic cup.
In contrast, Maccabi Tel Aviv has not faced any recent UEFA disciplinary cases for hooliganism.
Disputed Accounts from Amsterdam
The core of the dispute centres on West Midlands Police's assessment of disorder surrounding Maccabi's match against Ajax in Amsterdam in November 2024. A leaked document from the British force, used to advise Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group, contained claims that Dutch police have now called into question.
While Dutch police confirmed that 500 to 800 high-risk Maccabi ultras were in Amsterdam and were involved in violence, including arming themselves with belts and padlocks and attacking vehicles, they directly contradicted several specific assertions from their UK counterparts.
A key claim from West Midlands Police was that 500 to 600 Maccabi fans intentionally targeted Muslim communities. Amsterdam police told Sky News: "We did not see large groups of Maccabi's (fans) going into Muslim populated areas to target Muslims." They clarified that provocations occurred from both sides, but primarily in the city centre.
Furthermore, the Dutch police made no reference to the notable claim that Maccabi fans threw "innocent members of the public into the river". Their detailed timeline did, however, cite "offensive, racist expressions" shouted in Hebrew by Maccabi supporters and described a chaotic situation with pro-Palestinian rioters also hunting for individuals perceived as Israeli or Jewish.
Resource Claims and Political Reaction
Further discrepancies have emerged regarding the police response. A West Midlands Police document claimed that 5,000 officers were deployed in Amsterdam. The Dutch police confirmed to Sky News that the actual number was only 1,200.
The situation has prompted serious concern from Aston Villa-supporting Tory MP Nick Timothy, a former Home Office special adviser. He stated, "This isn't just about a football match... This is about whether we can trust the police to do their job without fear or favour... And whether we can trust them to tell us the truth. They've presented an intelligence report that they say is based on information provided by the Dutch. The Dutch say that that information is not true."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also expressed fresh concern about the evidence used by the police. In a statement, West Midlands Police said it is "satisfied in the veracity of our information and intelligence" but declined to comment further ahead of the Select Committee hearing on Monday.
