West Midlands Police chiefs face MPs again after being forced to apologise for misleading evidence about Israeli football fans ban
West Midlands top cops and Birmingham City Council chiefs will be quizzed by MPs tomorrow about Israeli football fans being banned from an Aston Villa match last year.
The controversial decision to ban Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa made headlines across the globe.
The ban sparked political outrage from across the political spectrum including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as the force was criticised for refusing to guarantee the safety of Jews visiting Birmingham.
The police's evidence and intelligence behind the decision quickly unravelled under her national media's forensic examination. Dutch authorities refuted claims about Maccabi fans behaviour in Amsterdam last year and denied thousands of extra officers were needed to police the fixture. Jewish groups were outraged police chiefs claimed local Jewish community groups backed the ban
Chief Constable Craig Guildford and Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara, who spent years working in the Black Country before being promoted, previously gave evidence about the match to the Home Affairs Committee in November.
However, they were forced to issue an apology after the Chief Constable's claims about the danger represented by Maccabi fans were refuted by Dutch Police and his Assistant's evidence about local Jewish groups supporting the ban was also challenged.
In a letter to MPs the Chief Constable said: “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.
“O’Hara and I would like to take this opportunity to formally apologise to the Home Affairs Select Committee for any confusion caused and would like to reassure you that there was never any intention to mislead whatsoever.”
The Home Affairs Select Committee also requested evidence from Birmingham City Council, with leader Councillor John Cotton, Executive Director of City Operations Richard Brooks and Director of Law Anthony Cox set to give the local authority's viewpoint.
The council asked WMP for its rationale to ban fans despite having representatives on the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) which made the decision in October. The council has since ordered an independent review to learn lessons from became a political and religious issue.
Local Muslim representatives welcomed the ban leading to accusations the police had prevented Israeli fans entering the city at the behest of pro-Palestinian factions in the city. There were protests around Villa Park on the night of the tie which involved anti-Israeli slogans repeatedly shouted by protestors.
The Home Affairs Committee outlined the Policing Football meeting: "The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Craig Guildford and Birmingham City Council leader Councillor John Cotton, along with their senior officials, will face questions about the decisions taken over the policing of the football match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, at which away supporters were banned from attending.
"The Home Affairs Committee will hear further evidence relating to decision making around the policing of the football match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv."
The meeting will be held in the Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Westminster at 2.30pm. For more information and to watch the meeting online visit The Home Affairs Select Committee webpag
West Midlands Police will not comment on the issue until the meeting.
