Two British Jewish groups jointly called for the ouster of a local police chief, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry called for “action and accountability,” over allegations that the police mishandled the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a UK soccer game last fall.
The contentious decision to ban the Israeli fans from a match against Aston Villa on November 6 was initially made after the West Midlands Police advised the group responsible for issuing safety certificates for the game to ban Maccabi’s supporters over “public safety concerns.”
This week, a British parliamentary tribunal increased scrutiny of the police department’s decision-making, following widespread criticism. At the tribunal on Tuesday, chair Dame Karen Bradley accused the local police force of “scraping” to find a reason to justify the ban.
While police had claimed that hundreds of Maccabi fans had targeted Muslim communities on the night preceding a 2024 game against Ajax in Amsterdam, Amsterdam police have since disputed that characterization of the confrontation, saying Maccabi supporters were targeted. Following that game, a violent riot ensued during which local gangs — made up largely of local Muslims and Arabs — attacked Israeli fans, in what Dutch leadership described as an antisemitic act.
West Midlands Police’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, defended the force’s decision, replying to the “scraping” accusation: “I’m really sorry if it comes across in that way. That was absolutely not the case.”
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
But in a statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Jewish Leadership Council said that if Guildford does not resign, “responsibility lies with central government to intervene,” and that “significant harm has been done to the confidence of the Jewish community in the Police.”
“It seems that the police reached a decision first, and then searched for evidence to justify it, apparently influenced by the threat posed by local extremists,” the groups said. “It is also apparent that claims about the previous behavior of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were unsubstantiated or erroneous.”
Screen grab taken from the UK’s Parliament TV of Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Craig Guildford giving evidence to the Home Affairs Committee on soccer policing. (House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a host of Jewish groups decried the decision at the time. Starmer called the ban the “wrong decision,” and added, “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”
Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city and home to a significant Muslim population, had been the scene of regular pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rallies over the two years of the Gaza war.
Mike O’Hara, the assistant chief constable, told the parliamentary tribunal that “there was a lot of intelligence that people would actively seek out Maccabi fans and seek violence towards them,” according to The Times.
Following the game, O’Hara also apologized for creating the impression that members of the Jewish community supported the ban on Maccabi supporters.
“Please can I apologize and make very clear that it was not my intention to imply that there were members of the Jewish community who had explicitly expressed support for the exclusion of Maccabi fans,” O’Hara reportedly wrote in the letter last year.
Aston Villa’s Spanish manager Unai Emery (right) and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Serbian coach Zarko Lazetic (left) shake hands after the final whistle in the UEFA Europa League league-stage football match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park in Birmingham on November 6, 2025. (Oli SCARFF / AFP)
But the tribunal has ignited a fresh round of criticism over the ban.
Kemi Badenoch, the British Conservative Party leader, said on Tuesday that West Midlands police “knew extremists were planning to attack Jews for going to a football match” but their response was to “blame and remove Jewish people instead,” according to The Times.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also wrote on Wednesday in a post on X that the conduct of the West Midlands Police towards Maccabi fans was “utterly disgraceful.”
“There is a specific term for the phenomenon of scapegoating Israelis and Jews while exonerating the true perpetrators – jihadists seeking to harm Jews. It is called antisemitism,” the post read. “Regrettably, this is the reality of Britain today. There must be action and accountability for such actions.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv said prior to the match that it would not send fans, who are traditionally afforded a section of the hosting team’s stadium. The team lost 2-0 to Aston Villa, as protests took place outside the stadium amid a heavy police presence.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a year-end request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So as 2025 draws to a close, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this