No Away Fans, Protests And 700 Police - Aston Villa V Maccabi Tel Aviv Explained

When Maccabi Tel Aviv were drawn to look Aston Villa successful nan Europa League, nan fixture instantly stood out.

The imaginable of an Israeli squad travelling to play a nine based successful a predominantly Muslim area prompted concerns from those successful complaint of ensuring nan fixture passes disconnected safely.

Six weeks ago, location was moreover a chance nan crippled mightiness not spell ahead, pinch calls for Israeli teams to beryllium removed from world competitions because of nan Israel-Gaza war.

But erstwhile a ceasefire was agreed past month, it became clear Maccabi - nan only Israeli nine to scope nan convention shape of European title this play - would enactment successful nan Europa League, and recreation to Birmingham.

The fixture has seldom been retired of nan news since, peculiarly erstwhile distant fans were banned from attending.

So what's going connected earlier Thursday's game?

Before each shot fixture, nan section Safety Advisory Group (SAG) assesses nan request for constabulary beingness positive immoderate imaginable restrictions that mightiness beryllium needed - including to nan full capacity aliases number of visiting supporters.

For Thursday's match, nan SAG had to return into relationship a number of considerations, including an appraisal from West Midlands Police which classified nan fixture arsenic high-risk. That resulted successful Maccabi fans being blocked from attending nan game.

Police said nan determination was "based connected existent intelligence and erstwhile incidents, including convulsive clashes and dislike crime offences that occurred during nan 2024 Uefa Europa League lucifer betwixt Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv successful Amsterdam".

Banning supporters was politically controversial, and prompted criticism from crossed nan spectrum, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

On October 20, arsenic calls grew to reverse nan decision, Maccabi announced they would reject immoderate connection of tickets because "a toxic ambiance has been created which makes nan information of our fans wishing to be very overmuch successful doubt".

More than 700 constabulary officers will beryllium deployed, including those pinch horses, dogs, nan force's drone unit, and roadworthy policing officers. There will beryllium a no-fly area astir nan ground.

"It looks for illustration a important policing cognition pinch immoderate rather powerful resources including mounted branch, drones, master officers, successful summation to nan stewards that will beryllium astatine nan crippled anyway," Ron Winch - subordinate professor successful policing astatine Birmingham City University and a erstwhile elder constabulary serviceman - told BBC Radio WM.

He added it was a "reasonable and proportionate consequence to nan threats and risks that nan lucifer faces".

Elsewhere, West Midlands Railways has announced a heightened constabulary beingness betwixt Aston and Witton train stations.

Thousands of tickets for nan lucifer remained unsold connected Wednesday morning, and nan distant extremity will beryllium closed alternatively than filled pinch location fans.

Villa announced past period their ticketing argumentation for nan match, insisting only fans pinch a acquisition history anterior to this play would beryllium capable to entree a ticket.

But nan anticipation of protests look to person put disconnected many.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Villa instrumentality Simon said: "I don't consciousness for illustration I would beryllium unsafe going to nan crippled but I tin understand location will beryllium a batch of group who consciousness for illustration that. I do interest that location will beryllium trouble."

Fellow instrumentality Dani added: "I'm not attending nan crippled connected this occasion. I recreation to games connected my ain arsenic a lone female and I simply consciousness excessively susceptible for this peculiar fixture."

Birmingham Police commandant Ch Supt Tom Joyce said connected Monday: "We cognize protests by different groups will return spot connected nan day, and we person plans successful spot which equilibrium nan correct to protestation pinch our work to protect each communities successful Birmingham."

According to nan 2021 Census, external, nan Aston Park area astir Villa Park is 70.2% Muslim.

Planned protests astatine nan stadium see 1 by pro-Palestinian groups, who want nan lucifer to beryllium called off. Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop nan War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Kashmir solidarity run and Palestinian Forum successful Britain person jointly organised nan protest.

There whitethorn besides beryllium counter-protests successful support of Israel.

There person been wide arrests astatine protests successful support of Palestine Action - a British pro-Palestinian group which was proscribed nether nan Terrorism Act 2000 successful July 2025.

There is besides nan anticipation protests whitethorn return spot wrong nan ground.

On Wednesday, West Midlands Police wrote connected societal media that for "supporters attending nan fixture connected Thursday night, location will beryllium aggregate summons checks connected nan attack to nan stadium".

Police person been moving intimately pinch religion and organization groups to return connected committee their views and concerns, and officers knowledgeable astatine policing high-profile shot matches and demonstrations will beryllium connected duty.

The volition is that nan measures put successful spot will guarantee nan crippled will spell up without immoderate issues for supporters.

Ch Supt Joyce said: "Our extremity passim readying for this lucifer is to guarantee group tin bask nan shot fixture while we proceed to support everyone successful Birmingham safe."

Villa had already identified imaginable issues for its staff, pinch nan BBC reporting past period that stewards had been told they did not person to activity connected nan crippled if they "may person concerns."

Mansfield Green E-ACT Primary Academy, which is simply a mile from Villa Park, will adjacent astatine 2pm.