MPs want answers on Villa-Maccabi game intelligence

Police have been requested to provide a fuller account of the allegedly exaggerated intelligence that led to the club’s decision to suspend Israeli fans from their game against Aston Villa.

According to a report in the Sunday Times (ST), West Midlands Police (WMP) allegedly overstated the threat Maccabi Tel Aviv fans posed prior to the game on November 6 because of alleged violence that occurred during a game in the Netherlands last year.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford should resign, according to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp in response. Sarah Jones, the home office minister, wrote him a letter asking for clarification.

According to the ST report on Sunday, some Maccabi-Tel Aviv supporters were “highly organized, skilled fighters with a serious desire and will to fight with police and opposing groups,” according to an intelligence report that the force relied on.

Conservative MP Nick Timothy pressed for the release of all intelligence and evidence that Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) considered in response to the Commons’ urgent question.

The panel, which included council and police experts, put restrictions on away fans’ access to the game on November 6.

The minister informed MPs that the Home Office had requested a more thorough investigation into how safety assessments were conducted and that she had written to WMP to “get the bottom” of the allegations.

According to a force spokesperson, “West Midlands Police’s evaluation was primarily based on information and intelligence and had public safety at its heart.”

We determined that the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam had a significant public disorder component.

On October 1, we met with Dutch police, who shared information about that 2024 fixture.

A sub-section of Maccabi fans, according to police, “posed a credible threat to public safety.”