"Birmingham hasn't failed anybody and neither has West Midlands Police."
"I've read some of the intelligence that's been received and the assessment that's been made," he added. "It's based on professional judgement."
"They are made with good, grounded understanding of the threat and what the risk is. Our job as the police is to try and keep everyone safe."
Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group barred travelling Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the Europa League match at Aston Villa on 6 November on safety grounds. The decision drew criticism from politicians, including the prime minister, and led the government to offer funding for policing to allow attendance. Maccabi Tel Aviv declined its ticket allocation, citing a "toxic atmosphere." Chief Constable Craig Guildford defended the ban as based on intelligence and professional judgement and said West Midlands Police aimed to keep everyone safe. Risk assessments behind the decision remain unpublished, and police said they will continue advising the SAG.
Read at www.bbc.com
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