England’s West Midlands Police (WMP) now face demands for an independent investigation, after documents emerged suggesting the force greatly exaggerated claims of hooliganism by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans—in order to justify banning them from the recent competitive fixture with Aston Villa in Birmingham.
WMP cited allegations that up to 600 Maccabi supporters committed “hate-motivated crimes” during last year’s Europa League match in Amsterdam.
However, a Dutch official report—seen by the Jewish Chronicle—states that Maccabi supporters “do not have a violent reputation” and were in fact the victims of organised antisemitic attacks in Amsterdam. Of the 59 people arrested, only ten were Israeli; the rest were Dutch. The assaults were later revealed to be part of a planned “Jew hunt.”
Since the report may have formed part of the subsequent decision to bar Israeli supporters from Birmingham, politicians from the main parties are now calling for full transparency, questioning the decision and asking whether Villa Park is a suitable venue for future international fixtures, including Euro 2028 matches.
Despite WMP insisting the ban was based on public safety and previous “hooliganism,” the Dutch analysis contradicts the narrative of senior police officers (a story backed by Muslim elements in local government in Birmingham). The force has since admitted it failed to properly engage with the local Jewish community.
Normally a decision of this nature—which meant match tickets were withheld from the Maccabi supporters—would be down to a football authority, such as UEFA. This makes the involvement of the police and ‘pro-Gaza’ local politicians in pushing the ban highly suspect.
Political figures including Lord McCabe, Nick Timothy, and Andrew Mitchell are now urging WMP to release all intelligence received from Dutch authorities. Jewish community leaders also want clarity on whether the information used to justify the ban was accurate, warning that the episode raises serious concerns about handling future international matches if Israel qualifies.
