Club cited possible safety ‘concerns’ after West Midlands police decided to ban Maccabi fans from fixture
Aston Villa told matchday stewards they would not have to work during the club’s Europa League fixture against the Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv, citing possible “concerns” over safety, it has been reported.
West Midlands police decided to ban Maccabi fans from the forthcoming match, after saying the force would not be able to police the fixture safely owing to “violent clashes and hate crime offences” at a previous match in Amsterdam in 2024.
The Home Office has offered extra support to West Midlands police in an effort to reverse its ban. A meeting with Birmingham’s safety advisory group (SAG) has been set up for next week.
The BBC reported that Villa had informed stewards they had permission to skip their duties on the day of the fixture, Thursday 6 November, before the decision to ban fans was made by police.
