Jewish leaders warned police Maccabi fan ban risked appearing antisemitic, documents show

Documents show Jewish community groups warned West Midlands police that banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an away match could be perceived as antisemitic. The minutes, obtained under a freedom of information request, cover a council-led safety advisory group meeting on 16 October, the day the ban was announced for the Europa League fixture at Villa Park on 6 November.

According to the redacted minutes, West Midlands police said: “Jewish community groups have expressed concern that banning away fans could be perceived as antisemitic, rather than a public safety decision. This perception could undermine trust and increase reputational risk for authorities and the club.” The document also records the force saying it was aware of concerns among the Aston Villa fanbase about hate crime incidents, “particularly isolated incidents of antisemitic abuse”.

West Midlands assistant chief constable Mike O’Hara later apologised to members of Birmingham’s Jewish communities after telling MPs some had expressed support for the ban. The force clarified: “It was never the intention of the officer to imply that there were members of the Jewish community who had explicitly expressed support for the exclusion of Maccabi fans.” More than 25 names of attendees at the 16 October meeting were redacted, though councillors Waseem Zaffar and Mumtaz Hussain are named.

Five representatives of West Midlands police were also present.

Key Topics

Sports, United States, Policing, Antisemitism, Community Relations, Uk Politics, Football