The Home Secretary has been called on to sack West Midlands police chief Craig Guildford for “failing to guarantee the safety of Jews” in Birmingham.
On Thursday football fans of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from the Aston Villa match over safety fears which was described as a “national disgrace.”
The Prime Minister, opposition leaders and the Israeli Foreign Minister slammed West Midland’s police ban.
Reform UK’ East Wiltshire MP, Danny Kruger has called on Shabana Mahmood to invoke Section 40 of the Police Act 1996 and sack Chief Constable Guildford.
Kruger said, “The call for Israeli fans to be banned from attending a football match at Villa Park is outrageous, and the decision of West Midlands Police to effectively agree to a ban is totally reprehensible.
“If the police could not guarantee the safety of Jewish visitors because of antisemitism among the local Muslim population they should have banned the game itself – not yielded to the mob.”
Sir Keir Starmer insisted that the police must “ensure all football fans enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation,” the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the decision is a “national disgrace.”
Starmer wrote on X, “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.
The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.” Villa released a statement confirming no away supporters would be present for the Group Stage showdown on November 6 following directives from the SAG.
Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group,” the statement began. The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.
“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture. West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.
West Midlands Police made an attempt to defend their decision, a representative said they remain “steadfast in support of all affected communities and reaffirm” they have zero tolerance to hate crimes.
“West Midlands Police supports the decision to prohibit away supporters from attending. This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety.”
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