Maccabi Tel Aviv ban row takes new turn as police ordered to hand over more information

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, was among those who urged a review of the decision.

The Home Affairs Committee heard evidence on the decision-making process on December 1 but has now written to WMP, the SAG, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) requesting further clarification on several points.

Committee chair Karen Bradley asked WMP Chief Constable Craig Guildford to explain the evidence given by Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara.

He told the committee the police had been told by members of the Jewish community they did not want Maccabi fans to attend the match.

The force subsequently issued a statement of clarification to ACC O’Hara’s comments.

It read: "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."

Bradley wrote in her letter to the Chief Constable published on Wednesday: "Please could you in your response clarify the remarks made by Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara that Jewish community representatives objected to the presence of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, something which we now understand to be untrue.

"Misleading Parliament, intentionally or otherwise, is a serious matter and we would be grateful if you would correct the record and explain how this mistake occurred."

A force spokesman said: "We have received the letter from the Home Affairs Committee and will be responding in due course."

Bradley also wrote to the SAG asking it to provide minutes of its three meetings regarding the fixture.

He also asked to confirm whether it had considered a report by Lord Mann, the Government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, focused on trouble surrounding a fixture between Ajax and Maccabi the previous year.

The UKFPU was asked to share records of any conversations it had with Lord Mann and why the unit did not share his report with WMP.

It was also asked to share details of its communications with Maccabi and the Israeli authorities, and whether it was informed that Maccabi ultras did not plan to attend the match.

A Dutch police document revealed Amsterdam authorities had determined Maccabi supporters were actually victims of orchestrated attacks rather than instigators.

In their risk assessment ahead of the Villa Park encounter, WMP alleged that substantial numbers of Maccabi supporters had participated in "demonstrations and confrontations" during the Amsterdam fixture.

The force went further, claiming that up to 600 Israeli fans had engaged in "a variety of targeted, hate-motivated crimes".

These assertions formed the basis of WMP's recommendation to Birmingham City Council's Safety Advisory Group, leading to the exclusion of all Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the stadium.

Arrest figures from the Amsterdam clashes revealed that merely 10 of the 59 individuals detained were Israeli nationals, whilst 49 were Dutch citizens.

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