When Ed Miliband proclaimed on Sky News yesterday that Aston Villa’s football ground cannot be a “no-go area” for Jews, he was beyond a doubt correct. In an ideal world the sports arena would represent a haven for us all, where each fan is permitted to remove their everyday identity and replace it with one that unifies them with their fellow supporters. This is what Miliband, alongside the well-meaning people of this country, believe in. Unfortunately, this is not what surrounds us in the UK in 2025.
West Midlands Police support of the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from travelling to Birmingham was made due to “safety concerns based on current intelligence and past incidents.” They specifically cited the violent clashes during the Israeli team’s trip to Amsterdam in 2024. Videos of the disorder show Tel Aviv fans tearing down Palestinian flags the night before the game alongside chants of “death to Arabs.”
The cause of the clashes in Amsterdam was not solely prescribed to followers of Maccabi. In a subsequent court hearing, a group chat amongst a number of Ajax fans was shown to the court. This displayed plans to attack opposition supporters, including one message which specified a “Jew Hunt.”
Regardless, this is not the sole example of awful behaviour from Maccabi fans. Arab Israeli footballer, Maharan Radi, fell victim to anti-Arab slurs from some home fans during his playing time there. Additionally, Baruch Dego, an Ethiopian Jewish player, was the subject of monkey noises from sections of his side’s support. Even last weekend, their derby against fellow Tel Aviv side Hapoel was abandoned due to violence between both sets of supporters prior to kick-off.
These issues are not exclusive to fans of the club, but it cannot be ignored they are playing in a city home to nearly 350,000 Muslims against the backdrop of the Israel Gaza war and a fatal attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
Asrar Rashid, a Birmingham based Islamic preacher, told Maccabi fans they would be shown “no mercy” when they visited the city. Rashid has 11,000 followers on X and 98,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Allowing these fans into Birmingham risks significant danger for football fans, the police and the population of Birmingham. Miliband, the Prime Minister and multiple high-profile politicians have condemned the decision made by Aston Villa. On a political level this is understandable, but from a public safety perspective it is delusional. West Midlands Police categorisation of the fixture as ‘high risk’ is rational considering the evidence.
Certain figures in the media are promoting the idea that this decision represents the scourge of antisemitism infiltrating local government. While it is no doubt a depressing reality, that a mainly Jewish fan base has been excluded from watching a football fixture because of a sectarian conflict nearly two and a half thousand miles away, the police must keep the public safe. If they don’t believe they can do that, then the fixture cannot go ahead.
Those who seek to use the antisemitism line are inaccurate in their observations of the issue; this is not the first nor will it be the last that football fans have been prohibited from travelling to a country due to safety concerns. In 2024, the French authorities banned PSV Eindhoven fans from travelling to Paris for a Champions League fixture against PSG. This was due to past disturbances from PSV fans in France. Similarly, Leeds United banned Galatasaray fans from Elland Road in 2000 after two of their fans were stabbed in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final.
The decision ultimately rests with Aston Villa, who would be wise to heed the advice of local authorities and disregard any antisemitic accusations. West Midlands Police won’t be strangers to the issue of football violence, but this represents a greater threat due to the radicals on both sides with malevolent intent. Surely it is better to keep them apart.