Shabana Mahmood has ordered a probe into West Midlands Police after the force allegedly used “false evidence” to ban Israeli football fans from watching their team’s match against Aston Villa.
WMP barred Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from Villa Park on November 6 – but relied on intelligence that Dutch authorities have since labelled false or misleading.
Civil servants from the Home Office contacted Dutch officials last week to examine claims about violence during Maccabi’s match against Ajax in Amsterdam last November – and will soon speak to police too.
West Midlands Police had claimed as many as 600 Maccabi supporters deliberately attacked Muslim neighbourhoods while they were in Amsterdam.
The force also alleged that fans pushed members of the public into canals, and that 200 supporters had connections to the Israeli military.
UK police told Birmingham City Council that 5,000 Dutch officers were required to handle the disorder in the Netherlands.
These claims were central to the WMP argument that allowing fans to travel from Israel would create unacceptable risks.
The ban sparked mass accusations of antisemitism and creating “no-go zones” for Jews – though the Government did not reverse the ban.
PICTURED: Pro-Palestine protesters hurl slogans outside Villa Park – despite the Israeli fans being banned
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But Dutch authorities outright rejected the claims about what happened in Amsterdam when probed by The Sunday Times.
Amsterdam police spokesman Sebastiaan Meijer said his country’s authorities never claimed 5,000 officers were deployed – or that 500-600 fans targeted Muslims.
Regarding the canals, he said: “We might have mentioned one case of someone being thrown in a canal, but it remains unclear to which group this person belonged.”
He clarified that only ultras, not the wider fanbase, were organised and confrontational, describing them as “like other European ultra groups”.
At the time, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof had said he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens“.
And Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said “antisemitic hit-and-run squads” had run riot around her city.
MACCABI TEL AVIV VS ASTON VILLA – READ MORE:
PICTURED: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans on the terraces at Stamford Bridge. Dutch police said there had been no issues with the wider fanbase
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Labour peer Lord Cryer condemned the Birmingham ban as “an evil plot” orchestrated by “a bunch of bigots and racists” attempting to make Birmingham “into a no-go area for Jewish people”.
Tory MP and Aston Villa fan Nick Timothy has demanded that Craig Guildford, WMP’s Chief Constable, resign – unless he provides complete transparency about the decision.
Mr Guildford will face questioning from the Home Affairs Select Committee tomorrow, after initially refusing to attend.
The force insists its intelligence was true – but has declined to provide an explanation, saying it will only discuss the matter before MPs.
More broadly, the Home Secretary has ordered a review into how local authorities make safety decisions around football matches, with an interim report on the West Midlands case expected before Christmas.
PICTURED: Anti-Israel activist Akhmed Yakoob leads a pro-Palestine demonstration in Birmingham
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West Midlands Police said its “evaluation was based primarily on information and intelligence and had public safety at its heart”.
A spokesman said: “We assessed the fixture between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam as having involved significant public disorder.
“We met with Dutch police on October 1, where information relating to that 2024 fixture was shared with us.
“Informed by information and intelligence, we concluded that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters – specifically the subgroup known as the Maccabi Fanatics – posed a credible threat to public safety.
“We are satisfied that the policing strategy and operational plan was effective, proportionate, and maintained the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”
