Aston Villa Football Club: Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of public disorder outside Villa Park on 6 November 2025.
Answered by Sarah Jones
The Government is committed to ensuring that football matches are safe, inclusive events for all. Decisions regarding match-day operations, including the decision to exclude away fans from attending the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match at Villa Park on 6 November, were made locally by Birmingham City Council’s Safety Advisory Group, following a risk assessment by West Midlands Police. These bodies are operationally independent of government.
The match proceeded without serious disorder or disruption, supported by a significant policing operation involving around 700 officers. While the event was largely peaceful, the government recognises the concerns raised about the intelligence underpinning the decision to exclude away fans.
To ensure full independent scrutiny, the Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect how police forces in England and Wales provide risk assessment advice to local Safety Advisory Groups and other bodies responsible for licensing high-profile public events. HMICFRS has been asked to provide an initial response on the intelligence the West Midlands Police relied upon when assessing risk for the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match by 31 December.
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