Police Drew Up False Evidence After Decision to Ban Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans
West Midlands Police drew up false evidence to retrospectively justify banning Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from an Aston Villa match in Birmingham after the move was already agreed. The Times has the story.
The force drew up the “intelligence” after the local council privately said it had been “challenged” over the decision and needed a clearer “rationale”.
West Midlands police and Birmingham City Council had already agreed to operate “on the assumption” of “no away fans” when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Aston Villa in November.
Leaked minutes from a safety advisory group meeting say police based their initial support for it on what one officer described as “my professional judgement” and “in the absence of intelligence”.
The force only produced “significant” and “new” “intelligence” about Maccabi’s fanbase after a Birmingham council staff member confided that they had faced questions and been “asked to obtain” information to pre-empt criticism or claims of “anti-Jewish sentiment”.
West Midlands police changed its approach and focused overwhelmingly on the disorder that broke out when Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attended a game in Amsterdam in November 2024. It claimed that Israelis “randomly” threw innocent civilians into canals and that hundreds of fans “linked” to the IDF attacked “Muslim communities”, requiring the deployment of thousands of Dutch officers.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford stood by the allegations even after police in the Netherlands dismissed them as untrue or misleading.
Between October 7th, when the first safety group meeting took place, and October 23rd, the final meeting, police downgraded the threat it said Israeli fans faced (“high” to “medium”), upgraded the threat to the Muslim community (“medium” to “high”), and exaggerated the police response to disorder in Amsterdam (1,200 officers to 5,000).
The city’s 1,600 Jews, initially said to face a “medium threat”, did not appear in the final analysis:
The disclosures will deepen pressure on a force under scrutiny by a committee of MPs, the police watchdog and a separate police inspectorate. Birmingham council said last week it would appoint a lawyer to conduct an external review of “what can be improved from a governance perspective”.
The Chief of Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner should have been given the Order of the Boot at the time this farce started. It doesn’t require a pile of taxpayers money being paid to another bent legal mastermind to tell us once again that “lessons will be learned” and decisions were taken “on the facts known at the time,” especially as it is clear that “the facts” were known to have been manipulated weeks ago.
This decision, to ban the Tel Aviv fans was out and out inverted racism – pandering to the muzzies, anti-semitism and a refusal by Birmingham Chief of Police to do his job. He must be sacked. He’s gutless and incompetent.
The relevant council officer should also be sacked as the final authority lies with the council. Perhaps Aston Villa would also like to answer as to why it did not challenge the illegal decison to ban away fans based on matters outside the stadium which lies outside the legislation.
Lessons will only be learned when there is a corrective action plan, a list of activities, owners for the implementation of each activity, and a formal sign-off of the corrective action plan afterwards.
Otherwise ‘lessons’ will simply evaporate, leaving no trace.
Funny how TTK goes on about rules based international order when he can’t even get his officials in the UK to abide by the rules.
RTSC
3 months ago
A clear case of “making the evidence fit the crime.”
The Chief Constable should be sacked.
Hester
3 months ago
West Midlands Police demonstrate Anti Semitism, and Racism, why are the Officers mentioned not charged?
Oh I can think why, there is only one acceptable group that can call out racism. The rest of us? we don’t count.
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The Chief of Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner should have been given the Order of the Boot at the time this farce started. It doesn’t require a pile of taxpayers money being paid to another bent legal mastermind to tell us once again that “lessons will be learned” and decisions were taken “on the facts known at the time,” especially as it is clear that “the facts” were known to have been manipulated weeks ago.
This decision, to ban the Tel Aviv fans was out and out inverted racism – pandering to the muzzies, anti-semitism and a refusal by Birmingham Chief of Police to do his job. He must be sacked. He’s gutless and incompetent.
In fact, absolutely perfect for service under 2TK — ‘cos he’s clearly also a wanchor.
👍👍
The relevant council officer should also be sacked as the final authority lies with the council. Perhaps Aston Villa would also like to answer as to why it did not challenge the illegal decison to ban away fans based on matters outside the stadium which lies outside the legislation.
Good point.
Lessons will only be learned when there is a corrective action plan, a list of activities, owners for the implementation of each activity, and a formal sign-off of the corrective action plan afterwards.
Otherwise ‘lessons’ will simply evaporate, leaving no trace.
Are these officers and council employees not guilty of serious offences?
In a country being run by honest people clearly the Birmingham mob would be guilty of serious offences but sadly we are lumbered with another traitor.
“…what can be improved from a governance perspective…”
How about sacking the liars? That might improve “governance”.
Seconded 👍
Isn’t this sedition?
Possibly.
Funny how TTK goes on about rules based international order when he can’t even get his officials in the UK to abide by the rules.
A clear case of “making the evidence fit the crime.”
The Chief Constable should be sacked.
West Midlands Police demonstrate Anti Semitism, and Racism, why are the Officers mentioned not charged?
Oh I can think why, there is only one acceptable group that can call out racism. The rest of us? we don’t count.
So… they lied. Who gets fired?