""I made my position very clear to the chief constable [before the ban was confirmed]," Cotton is reported to have said. "I was advised that this would be the advice the police were giving and I was clear that, though I do not interfere with police operational decisions, I did say that I thought this would have very negative consequences for Birmingham and sent a message out around what kind of city we are and how welcoming we are.""
"In a letter published on Tuesday to the Home Affairs Committee chair, Conservative MP Karen Bradley, Mr Brooks included minutes from three SAG meetings relating to the fixture. "The 6 November 2025 Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match was obviously one from which the SAG and the council learnt a great deal," he wrote. "Thus, the council and the SAG intend to commission a formal process of independent forward-looking review undertaken"
The Home Affairs Committee is examining the West Midlands Police and council-led Safety Advisory Group decision to prevent away fans attending the Europa League fixture at Villa Park. West Midlands Police provided details about the intelligence that prompted the ban. Councillor John Cotton, alongside council executives Richard Brooks and Anthony Cox, will give oral evidence after Chief Constable Craig Guildford appears on 6 January. The ban on 6 November drew widespread criticism, including from the prime minister and senior MPs who suggested it amounted to antisemitism. The council and SAG plan an independent forward-looking review into the match and decision-making.
Read at www.bbc.com
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