By any measure of fairness or freedom, this is shameful. I am from Birmingham, a city of grit and heart, of industry, bravery, and graft, and I cannot stand by while West Midlands Police, of all institutions, surrenders to intimidation.
Because that’s what this is, surrender.
Let’s be absolutely clear, no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend their Europa League tie at Villa Park. Not because they’ve done anything wrong. Not because they are hooligans. But because they are Jewish.
West Midlands Police say they can’t “guarantee safety.” Well, what kind of Britain is that? What kind of Birmingham are we living in if Jewish football fans cannot safely walk through Birmingham on a particular night? The very idea that our police force, in 2025, cannot ensure the safety of visiting fans from a democratic country is not just absurd, it’s humiliating.
Let me tell you something about Birmingham. We are forged, not made. This is the city of the Industrial Revolution, of factories that lit the world and workers who built empires with their hands. We gave Britain steel, engines, and soldiers. The Peaky Blinders may be legend now, but their spirit… raw, fearless, unbowed, runs in our veins. We have endured riots, terrorism, industrial collapse, and rebirth. We do not run from a challenge. We are among the toughest people on this planet. And yet here, in my own city, the police and local authorities have chosen to wave the white flag before a single whistle has blown.
If there are protests, deal with them. If there are threats, confront them. That is why we have Public Order units. That is why mutual aid exists, call in extra forces if you must. What we cannot do is bow to those who threaten violence and then pretend it’s “safety.” That’s not safety. That’s appeasement.
The message this decision sends to every Jewish person in Britain is chilling, we cannot keep you safe if people don’t like you enough.
The Prime Minister is right to call this “the wrong decision.” But Starmer’s weak words are not enough. We the people must make it clear we do not stand for this. The Home Secretary must make a stand, if West Midlands Police and the Safety Advisory Group do not reverse this by tonight, she must intervene. And yes, heads should roll.
Because this isn’t just about football. This is about whether Britain remains a nation of law and liberty, or one that cowers before mob sentiment.
Imagine if this were another minority, if a club had banned Black or Muslim fans “for safety reasons.” There would be national outrage, and rightly so. So why is it acceptable when the fans are Jewish?
This is Birmingham, the forge of the Industrial Revolution, the city of Boulton and Watt, of Chamberlain and Cadbury, of Tolkien’s imagination and Led Zeppelin’s thunder. We built the engines that powered Britain and the music that echoed across the world. Our soldiers fought with honour, our poets spoke truth to power, and our people have never bowed to fear.
Reverse this decision. Reinstate the travelling fans. Use every resource at your disposal to keep order.
If Britain cannot guarantee the safety of Jews at a football match, then Britain is not safe at all.
By Claire Bullivant
Image: Holte End Stand, Villa Park © Copyright Philip Halling and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
