Senior UK Police Officer Steps Down Following Dispute Over Maccabi Tel Aviv Supporter Restrictions
A prominent UK police leader responsible for approving a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv football supporters attending a Birmingham fixture chose to retire abruptly on Friday amid intensifying demands for his resignation.
West Midlands Police and its leader Craig Guildford faced escalating criticism regarding the process behind barring the supporters from the November 6 UEFA Europa League clash against Aston Villa.
The action triggered widespread political backlash across Britain including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and in Israel where officials condemned it as "antisemitic".
"Chief Constable Craig Guildford has retired from West Midlands Police effective immediately today" the areas crime commissioner Simon Foster informed journalists.
He described the controversy as a "major hindrance" for West Midlands Police which covers Birmingham Britains second largest city.
"Resolving this issue required a balanced calm fair measured and respectful approach" Foster continued.
Britains home secretary Shabana Mahmood stated on Wednesday that she had lost faith in Guildford following an initial review by a policing oversight body which determined the force had "exaggerated" the danger from Maccabi supporters to support the prohibition.
"The West Midlands Police chief constable no longer holds my confidence" Mahmood who also serves as a Birmingham MP informed parliament.
According to the 2021 census Birminghams population includes 30 percent Muslims and the city has hosted numerous demonstrations backing Palestinians since the Gaza conflict began in 2023 notably on the evening of the game.
The oversight bodys report emerged after prolonged examination of the police decision on the ban.
Led by police chief inspector Andy Cooke the review highlighted "confirmation bias" within the force.
"Instead of pursuing the facts the force only gathered evidence aligning with their preferred outcome of excluding the supporters" Mahmood remarked.
Cookes assessment "demonstrates that the police inflated the risks from Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters while downplaying the dangers faced by those Israeli fans if they came to the region" Mahmood explained.
Errors
In Wednesdays statement West Midlands Police expressed: "We deeply regret the effects these issues have had on people and their communities."
"We acknowledge errors occurred yet we stress that none stemmed from intentional misrepresentation or bias."
The local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) prevented Maccabi supporters from travelling to the fixture citing security worries informed by police guidance.
West Midlands Police deemed the event "high risk" however the oversight body identified eight "inaccuracies" in their input to the SAG such as mentioning a fictional fixture between Tel Aviv and West Ham which arose from an "AI error".
Guildford issued an apology to parliament members for submitting flawed testimony during his recent appearance before them.
He had earlier assured MPs that the mistake came from a Google query and rejected any involvement of AI tools.
Yet in a Wednesday letter to MPs Guildford confessed that the incorrect details originated from Microsoft Copilot an AI assistant.
The oversight report noted further errors like West Midlands Police "substantially" overstating the incidents in Amsterdam in November 2024 where Maccabi supporters had confrontations with residents the assessment indicated.