Senior police officers have firmly denied that political pressure influenced the contentious decision to prevent supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match in Birmingham last year.
Safety Concerns, Not Politics, Cited as Reason
Chief Constable Craig Guildford and Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara of West Midlands Police faced intense questioning from MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee. They were grilled over the ban imposed on Maccabi fans for the Europa League fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park on 6 November last year.
CC Guildford stated unequivocally to the committee: "I do not believe there was political influence on that decision." He explained that the advice provided to the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) formed the basis of the ruling. The SAG, which includes police, emergency services, and local council representatives, makes recommendations on public event safety.
While acknowledging that local figures, including independent MP Ayoub Khan and some councillors, had lobbied against the match, Guildford maintained his personal opinion was that no political interference swayed the final outcome.
Intelligence on Vigilante Groups and Online Goading
ACC O'Hara defended the operational decision, telling MPs: "There is no conspiracy here, this is a decision based on safety." He outlined specific intelligence that led to the ban.
Police had information suggesting local "vigilante groups" would actively seek out and target Maccabi fans with violence. Furthermore, officers had observed people online purporting to be Maccabi fans who were "goading local community members."
The assessment also considered a "very hot" local community reception and evidence from Dutch police about the behaviour of some Maccabi fans in Amsterdam. Weighing these factors, ACC O'Hara called the ban a "reasonable" measure in the circumstances.
The committee chair, Conservative MP Karen Bradley, suggested it appeared police had scrambled to find a justification for the ban. CC Guildford responded: "That's absolutely not the case. I'm really sorry if it comes across that way."
Apology for Misrepresenting Jewish Community Views
A significant moment in the session occurred when ACC O'Hara addressed a previous error. Labour MP Joani Reid highlighted that police had earlier told the committee the ban was supported by the local Jewish community, which was incorrect.
ACC O'Hara expressed regret, stating he was "personally quite gutted" to have caused confusion. "It was never my intention to misrepresent the views of the Jewish community," he said, confirming he had issued an immediate apology which was shared with community leaders. He pledged to work on improving the force's relationship with the Jewish community.
The original ban provoked strong criticism from across the political spectrum, including from the Prime Minister, who expressed outrage at the time.
