Government’s response to Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban was ‘clumsy’, say MPs

A home affairs select committee has found the government’s response to West Midlands police’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was “clumsy”, late and did little more than inflame tensions. The report, published on Sunday, examined the November decision by the council-led safety advisory group to bar away supporters from a Europa League match with Aston Villa and the intelligence that informed it.

The committee concluded West Midlands police relied on inaccurate information and failed to carry out basic due diligence. It also criticised the Home Office for not recognising the decision’s significance or escalating properly after being warned more than a week earlier that a ban was likely.

Dame Karen Bradley said: "Government intervention was clumsy and came too late, and we reject the government’s argument that it could only intervene once the decision was taken.

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