NO EVIDENCE West Midlands Police Apologise Over False Claim on Jewish Support for Fan Ban

Force Admits No Evidence of Jewish Backing for Maccabi Fan Ban

West Midlands Police have been forced to publicly apologise to MPs after wrongly claiming that members of Birmingham’s Jewish community supported the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Aston Villa’s Europa League clash.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford told the Home Affairs Select Committee there was actually “no documented feedback from Jewish representatives” before the controversial ban was imposed on November 6, 2025.
The findings are expected by March 31, 2026.

The match itself saw over 700 officers deployed and concluded peacefully with Aston Villa beating Maccabi 2-0. However, UEFA fined Maccabi €20,000 (£17,500) and issued a suspended away ban over discriminatory chants by their fans.

Damage Done to Trust Over Policing and Community Relations

Critics say the ban set a worrying precedent, letting potential threats dictate attendance rather than targeting troublemakers. The recall of Chief Constable Guildford to Parliament highlights how seriously MPs view the police’s bungled handling of both the ban and their subsequent testimony.

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