Police chief behind Maccabi supporters ban is victim of ‘a witch hunt’ says local MP

Calls for the West Midlands Police chief behind a ban on Israeli football fans attending a game in the UK last year to step down are ‘a witch hunt’, a local MP has said. Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv were barred from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa in November after Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group raised concerns about fan safety, pointing to alleged violent clashes during their opponent’s Europa League fixture against Ajax in 2024. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared that she "no longer has confidence" in Chief Constable Craig Guildford on Wednesday (14 January), after an independent report found the ban was based on false information. MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan (Independent), whose constituency covers Villa Park, said, "This is truly a sad day for British politics... Brummies know the truth that this is nothing but a witch hunt.”