Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned from Villa Park sparks national backlash

Local TV

Aston Villa’s Europa League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv has sparked outrage after Birmingham’s authorities barred visiting supporters, citing safety risks. The government has challenged the ban, offering police extra resources to reverse it.

Transcript

00:00In Birmingham, a football match has become a political flashpoint.

00:06Travelling fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from Aston Villa's Europa League toy

00:11after West Midlands police libelled the fixture high risk.

00:15The city's safety advisory group accepted that advice

00:18and ordered no visiting allocation at Villa Park.

00:22The decision matters because it shows how far safety powers can reach

00:26when tension around global conflict spills into British sport.

00:30Critics say the ban punishes ordinary supporters for risks they didn't create.

00:35Police say they're acting on intelligence of planned protests

00:38and a shortage of officers to handle this order if those protests turn violent.

00:44The backlash was instant. The Prime Minister called the move wrong.

00:48Ministers offered extra policing resources and urged local authorities to reconsider.

00:54Civil Liberties groups say the ruling may breach equality law

00:58by excluding fans on the basis of nationality.

01:02Aston Villa insist they were told not asked to comply.

01:06The club said they'd prefer a solution that keeps the game open to all supporters

01:10under proper security controls.

01:13UEFA has also sought assurances that the fixture won't set a precedent

01:18for other high risk matches across Europe.

01:21For Birmingham, the implications run deeper than football.

01:25It's about who carries the burden when public safety, civil rights and politics collide

01:30and whether authorities should manage threats or remove those being threatened.

01:35At Villa Park, that argument is no longer theoretical.

01:38It's playing out, seat by empty seat.

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