"Aston Villa take on Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park this evening in a match that has already drawn widespread criticism before a ball has been kicked. No Maccabi fans are permitted at the fixture, following a decision by the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and a risk assessment carried out by West Midlands Police (WMP). The match was deemed a high-risk fixture by law enforcement and despite UK political leaders condemning the decision to prevent Maccabi supporters from attending, the match remains a home fan-only affair."
"WMP's reason for categorising the match as 'high-risk' came as a result of geopolitical tensions related to the Israel-Gaza conflict and Maccabi supporters' previous conduct in Europe. Due to the subsequent backlash, Maccabi declined their ticket allocation citing a 'toxic atmosphere' which they claimed would create an unsafe environment for travelling fans. Maccabi supporters were accused of widespread violence, discriminatory chanting and public disorder in Amsterdam last year ahead of their Europa League fixture against Ajax. It is thought this particular incident contributed to WMP's decision to classify Aston Villa's home game against Maccabi as high-risk."
No Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters are permitted at the Villa Park fixture after Birmingham Safety Advisory Group and West Midlands Police assessed the match as high-risk. Law enforcement cited geopolitical tensions linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict and concerns about previous Maccabi supporter behaviour in Europe. Maccabi Tel Aviv declined their ticket allocation, describing a 'toxic atmosphere' and safety concerns for travelling fans. Incidents in Amsterdam, where supporters were accused of violence, discriminatory chanting and public disorder, informed the risk assessment. UK political leaders criticised the decision, but the fixture remains restricted to home supporters only.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]