Israelis should be welcome in Birmingham

So since people are discussing bans in Birmingham, supposedly on the basis of the risk the attendees present, what was the reason for Diwali celebrations being banned too?

I'd like to think nobody would suggest thousands of Hindus are all violent thugs too, but who knows?

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birminghams-diwali-festival-will-back-32647730

I asked a question. Do you dent that the MTA fans chanted in Amsterdam calling for death to Arabs, chanted all through the match against Ajax, and then after the match committed criminal damage and stole items from building sites, to attack taxi drivers?

You’re going to ‘they started it’ again aren’t you. As if antisemitic WhatsApp groups coordinating attacks spontaneously came to life after the Maccabi fans behaved violently and unpleasantly - which they did.

Do you deny that that after them rioting in the streets?

And were attacked by gangs engaging in organised anti-Semitic violence.

The statement directly reference Amsterdam. Where MTA supporters had been violent.

You keep saying this over and over.

But there is nothing that’s been announced that shows the ban was only to do with the Maccabi supporters. It was just as likely (I’d say more) to be about violence from anti-Israel activists.

That’s where the disgrace comes from: ban Israelis because we don’t want to have to control violent mobs of protesters.

Aligning your views with other people doesn’t make them correct. A lot of people have jumped the gun and labelled it as antisemitism when it’s a policing decision based on the safety of the community.

I assume you’d be fine with them coming to your town, holding demonstrations and chanting “fuck the Arabs” and “death to Arabs”, scaling buildings to remove flags and breaking into building sites to steal scaffolding pipes and tools, before setting upon taxi drivers?

That's a bold statement to make. I'm not Jewish and my sentiments in this matter are similar to a number of mainstream MPs and Cabinet ministers.

Like I said. None of it will ever be good enough for you because apparently being Jewish means you can be as violent as you like.

BTW, Hungary received a stadium ban in 2021 after racial abuse towards England players

Investigated and banned by FIFA so not comparable;

After analysing and taking into consideration all the circumstances of the case, specifically the seriousness of the incidents (racist words and actions, throwing of objects, lighting of fireworks, blocked stairways), the Committee decided that the MLSZ would play its next two home matches in FIFA competitions without spectators, the second match being suspended for a probationary period of two years.

You’ve been provided with multiple examples of violence from fans leading to stadium bans.

it won’t be enough because you think that it’s okay for people to be violent if they’re Jewish.

BTW, Hungary received a stadium ban in 2021 after racial abuse towards England players. Seeing as MTA fans chanted “death to Arabs”, I think that’s comparable, no?

Come up with some comparable examples then.

No but they did commit criminal damage. As someone who goes to football games regularly I don’t want the bar for violence being that anything below (attempted?) murder is acceptable.

No but they did commit criminal damage. As someone who goes to football games regularly I don’t want the bar for violence being that anything below (attempted?) murder is acceptable.

No but they did commit criminal damage. As someone who goes to football games regularly I don’t want the bar for violence being that anything below (attempted?) murder is acceptable.

Did they stab to death two people at their last fixture?

So the same as this case, where MTA fans have been violent?

This list is pointless and not even accurate - half of the restrictions/fines/bans were imposed after the foreign fans caused trouble at matches played in the UK, or they involved extremely serious violence, e.g. two Leeds United fans murdered in Istanbul, and/or the restrictions were imposed by UEFA.

In the case of the Rangers’ match against Napoli in 2022 (your link -'Rangers vs Napoli (2022) – no away fans at either leg due to safety/policing risk'), restrictions were placed because the Queen died and police resources were unusually stretched - there were no away fans at the return leg in the spirit of fairness;
No away fans will be allowed at Rangers in a ruling that, "as a matter of sporting fairness", will be also applied to the reverse fixture in Naples. Uefa urged both sets of fans to respect an “extraordinary situation” by not travelling to either away fixture.

This is a comprehensive but not exclusive list of bans that have been handed out to foreign fans in the UK

https://x.com/gumptionandco/status/1980415926999867753?s=46

Quite worrying that reform has come out today and said they will ensure the police are under government control because of this.

That is a scary, scary response to something totally normal in football.

That Guardian article is brilliant.

It’s frustrating. If they had kept out of it nobody would be able to argue it any differently

Sky news isn’t the only authority on this matter.

racism etc commonly results in stadium bans. I don’t know why you won’t admit that.

A sensible outcome. The football club needs to root out the violent contingent and ban them for life.