UK: Ex-police chief referred to watchdog over Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban

West Midlands Police (WMP) is to be investigated over its role in the decision to ban notorious Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a November Champions League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham, a move that sparked widespread controversy and criticism.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster confirmed on Monday that he had referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), just days after WMP chief constable Craig Guildford announced his resignation.

"These matters have had a significant impact on public confidence, and the confidence of particular communities in the West Midlands," Foster said. "This is unacceptable."

He said holding the force to account over its advice to ban away supporters from the 6 November match remained a "top priority".

The IOPC's director general, Rachel Watson, confirmed that the watchdog would investigate the decision and the actions of WMP officers and staff involved, citing new information received within the past 24 hours that prompted it to revisit its initial assessment of potential misconduct.

The investigation will examine the intelligence briefings provided to the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which ultimately imposed the ban, including how the information was gathered, assessed and verified.

It will also scrutinise record keeping by officers and claims that representatives of Birmingham's Jewish community were consulted as part of the process.

The watchdog said it had also received a voluntary referral from WMP relating to a senior officer and a staff member over the force's use of artificial Intelligence tools, which will now form part of the wider investigation.

Guildford has apologised for unintentionally misleading MPs after initially denying that AI was used in the assessment.

He later acknowledged referencing a non-existent match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham United, content that was generated by Microsoft Copilot.

The referral from the Police and Crime Commissioner followed shortly after the IOPC issued its statement.

Guildford announced his retirement on Friday amid mounting pressure over the handling of the ban, saying he had been caught up in what he described as a "political and media frenzy".

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly criticised the decision, saying she had lost confidence in the chief constable after a watchdog report found that WMP had "overstated" the threat posed by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters to justify the ban.

The Safety Advisory Group barred away fans from attending the match based on WMP advice, citing public order concerns linked to earlier unrest in Amsterdam.

That assessment claimed Maccabi supporters had deliberately targeted Muslim communities during disturbances in the Dutch capital, an assertion that has been contested and remains under scrutiny.