Aston Villa V. Maccabi Tel Aviv

Everyone is aware by now that Aston Villa has banned travelling Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for their game on November 6th. This was reportedly on the advise of Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who I think is just an office within West Midlands Police

Their reasoning; this time last year Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax played a Europa League game in Amsterdam, and it kicked off. Antisemitic rioters turned up and actively sought out the Israeli supporters to attack and assault them. Five people ended up in hospital, 60 people were arrested, and four men were handed short prison sentences.

So Aston Villa thinks the same will happen at their ground. My thoughts:

1) Aston Villa supporters, I am absolutely sure, have no intention of attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. Aston Villa supporters are certainly not Antisemitic. In fact, there will be several Jewish people amongst the Villa fan base. Several Jewish season ticket holders. I wonder how they feel about travelling Jewish fans being targeted like this

2) Admittedly, the pro-Palestinians can be an exceedingly hostile and aggressive lot, although they're not really football supporters

3) Looking at figures online (and wherever you look you get a different answer) the percentage of Muslims in Aston is around 54%-73%. And that's a lot. I once spent a month in Aston doing my NEBOSH Construction, and it's a shit hole. But the Muslims are now jumping on the bandwagon and making threats towards the travelling support.

4) The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE - he's the one who upon being appointed by the Islamic Labour community lowered the British flag and in it's place raised the Pakistani flag - has gone on record as saying he has 'adopted Brummie, so much so that he is a passionate supporter of Birmingham City Football Club.' Interesting. Blues fans hate 'the vile', as they call them.

4) Starmer says he is doing ‘Everything in his power’ to overturn the ban. Well for a dictator he’s not doing very much, is he? If it were British fans threatening the Maccabi supporters he’d be making speeches about far-right thugs, but he’s not said a word against pro-Palestinians and Muslims threatening the team and the supporters. I notice he hasn't even called them thugs. He'd certainly be making speeches about it were patriots threatening travelling support.

5) Many Maccabi supporters will already have bought plane tickets, train tickets and booked accommodation. I've been to Villa Park, and the ground and the surrounding areas are very well policed. But If they can't get into the ground, then what? I'll tell you. They'll scatter all over Birmingham looking for pubs showing the game. The Muslims will be out in force looking for them. It'll be carnage. Then what will West Midlands police have to deal with?

Up here for thinking, boys, feet are for kicking footballs. Rather than targeting travelling Jewish support the police really, really, really, really should be looking at the Muslims in the area. They're the ones making all the threats.