Overview
- West Midlands Police said an officer did not intend to suggest Birmingham’s Jewish community supported excluding Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and issued an apology to representatives.
- Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara’s comments to MPs that some community figures did not want Maccabi supporters present were later clarified in writing, according to reports.
- The ban was enacted by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group using police intelligence that cited alleged incidents in Amsterdam, which Dutch authorities have since challenged.
- Reporting has flagged errors in the police file, including a reference to a nonexistent West Ham–Maccabi match and material lifted from unchecked social media posts.
- The force said it has outlined its risk assessment to the Home Affairs Committee and will engage with both the committee and HMICFRS as scrutiny continues, noting the November match saw few arrests.