Maccabi fans controversy highlights intelligence failures and the need to review the policing of football

29th January 2026Former Chief Superintendent Owen West

In the wake of the recent controversy around West Midlands Police’s decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa, a move which eventually led to the retirement of the force’s beleaguered Chief Constable Craig Guildford, former chief superintendent and policing lecturer Owen West, who specialised in crowd policing throughout his career, argues that the case highlights the paucity of good intelligence around football policing, and calls for a review of this major policing function.

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Maccabi fans controversy highlights intelligence failures and the need to review the policing of football

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