Overview
- Chief constable Craig Guildford and senior officers faced a second grilling by MPs over the November decision that kept Maccabi Tel Aviv fans out of Villa Park.
- Police leaders admitted errors in their evidence, including a false Google-sourced claim about a non‑existent West Ham fixture and a lack of notes on key Dutch police contacts.
- An expert rapid review published by MPs shows policing chiefs recommended allowing a reduced allocation of away tickets 16 days before the match, but the ban remained.
- Documents show intelligence of locals intending to ‘arm’ themselves and a late shift in risk assessments toward threats to the Birmingham community, while Dutch police dispute claims about Maccabi fans’ conduct in Amsterdam.
- The Home Secretary has commissioned HMIC to review the intelligence presented to safety groups as political pressure mounts, with the prime minister calling the decision wrong and leading figures and Jewish groups urging Guildford to resign.