Overview
- Redacted Silver Command logs record early‑morning surveillance of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s hotel, escalating to sightings of masked groups and large gatherings near Villa Park on match day.
- The documents show officers planned public messaging to label the operation “largely peaceful” to dampen online reaction even as resources were deployed to potential flashpoints.
- West Midlands Police previously told MPs it had withheld high‑confidence intelligence that local elements planned to arm themselves against visiting supporters.
- The Maccabi delegation left its hotel five hours before kick‑off and was housed inside the stadium on mattresses to reduce risks to the convoy, according to the logs.
- Political pressure intensified as senior Conservatives urged Guildford’s removal, with separate reporting spotlighting Green Lane Mosque’s consultation role and its former chief on the 2022 appointment panel, plus a Mail on Sunday claim that the Home Secretary was briefed earlier than stated.