David Vance SubstackRead More
It’s good to see that the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, (pictured above) faces potential sacking as early as this week!
This follows a damning investigation into his controversial decision to ban fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa last November.
The ban was recommended by West Midlands Police and approved by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group. It was officially justified on safety grounds, citing alleged hooliganism and violent behaviour by Maccabi fans. This particularly referenced incidents during their 2024 match against Ajax in Amsterdam. Senior officers, including Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce, publicly blamed Maccabi supporters exclusively for potential disorder. I am sure you remember this well!
However, it turns out that things were NOT quite as it seemed as subsequent revelations have painted a very different picture.
