Police Chief Explains Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans at Birmingham Match
West Midlands Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky News that high levels of hooliganism among certain Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters led to their exclusion from the Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham.
Last month, the UK government pledged to overturn the ban following public criticism of the initial decision taken by local safety authorities and police. Despite this, the Israeli club later announced it would not distribute tickets to its fans, citing security concerns.
“We are simply trying to make decisions based on community safety, driven by the intelligence that was available to us and our assessment of the risk that was coming from admitting traveling fans,”
— Tom Joyce, West Midlands Police
“I’m aware there’s a lot of commentary around the threat to the Maccabi fans being the reason for the decision. To be clear, that was not the primary driver. That was a consideration,”
— Tom Joyce
“We have intelligence and information that says that there is a section of Maccabi fans, not all Maccabi fans, but a section who engage in quite significant levels of hooliganism,”
— Tom Joyce
The safety restrictions remain in place as the police emphasize the need to protect all communities and maintain public order during international sporting events.
Author’s Summary
The Birmingham police defended the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, citing intelligence on hooliganism and prioritizing local community safety over political pressure.