Fans banned from match

[SunnySideDeepDown]

WTAF?!

https://news.sky.com/story/maccabi-tel-aviv-fans-will-not-be-allowed-to-attend-aston-villa-match-amid-safety-concerns-13451240

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned due to safety concerns AGAINST them?

Since when is it ok to victim blame and penalise people who have done nothing wrong? Surely the right course of action would be either to ban ALL fans of both sides or better police the event?

So are Jews not welcome at sports games now? Because some people are racist bullies?

I genuinely can’t believe this has been allowed. Where does it end? Can Jews no longer safely access society? What if the risk is high elsewhere, will they be banned then?

What do you think? AIBU to think this is discriminatory and a slippery slope?

Wouldn’t pragmatism be closing the game to ALL fans?

Anyway the solution is that nobody goes. Sauce for the goose - and a small sacrifice for The (omni) Cause.

You should look at the news, Israel killed 6 Palestinians on Tuesday AFTER the ceasefire.

No because it’s the Macabi fans that are the issue. They’re unable to conduct themselves in a decent manner when in public. It’s got nothing to do with it being an Israeli team it’s just that they have a terrible reputation for inciting hate and violence wherever they go. Amsterdam 2024 is a recent example.

Then why has ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity?

from the night before the match onwards, hardline supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv – a club with a reputation for racism and hooliganism among some of its fans – had torn down a Palestinian flag from the facade of a building and burned it, attacked one taxi with their belts, and vandalised others. Among the deplorable chants they saw fit to shout on the streets of Amsterdam, home to a large Muslim community, were: “Let the IDF [Israeli army] win, we will fuck the Arabs”, “Fuck you Palestine” and “Why is there no school in Gaza? There are no children left there.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/16/amsterdam-violence-maccabi-tel-aviv-far-right

They sound lovely. Completely correct that they are banned. Games have been played with fans banned for a lot less.

If the Villa fans can attend the match they will be contained within the stadium & any of the other fans will be outside if they decide to travel. If all fans are banned, troublemakers will all still attend & be in a more dangerous situation outside of the stadium. From a risk & security perspective it makes most sense to allow the locals to attend.

It’s about whether the venue and area around it (including blue light emergency services) can put adequate safety measures in place and enough resources to keep people safe - particularly from terrorism, serious violence.

The people who make these recommendations are not interested in
politics beyond it’s potential affects on public safety.

I do look at the news. I saw it.

I also note France’s ‘concern’ at thirty three extra judicial shootings by Hamas recorded officially and separately pleas from inside Palestine saying that Hamas are killing hundreds including women and children. Their own people.

It’s a sensible decision that protects those who reside in the local area, and those that will be attending the match for the football.

It’s not a decision by Aston Villa, it’s by the Safety Advisory Group who have informed the club and UEFA. It’s a policing decision and a good one.

It's not banning Jews, it's banning fans of that particular team.

And fans of that particular team are being banned because they specifically have a bad reputation for hooliganism, and because of the tensions of them being from a country that's committed genocide recently.

Any Jewish fans of Aston villa are more than welcome to attend.

Good decision in YOUR opinion. Not in mine. In my opinion, it’s discriminatory.

They caused a lot of trouble and caused a lot of damage at Ajax last season. As a season ticket holder I can't say I'm disappointed

How is it discriminatory? Just in the last couple of months Marseille banned Ajax fans and Napoli banned Eintracht Frankfurt fans, so it's not like only Israeli clubs have had this kind of action taken. City authorities are perfectly entitled to act if they think there is a risk and given that Maccabi have a recent history of racist violence on European away trips, there's plenty of reason to believe they are a risk.

Why are you deflecting from the issue at hand? Number of people have provided you with examples of them being complete hooligans yet you’re hellbent on making jt
about politics and discrimination. Why should they stop an entire match ? The teams are still playing. It’s the fans that have got themselves banned. In the U.K. we have football bans where individuals have been convicted of said related offences.

Just a technicality but SAG are not decision making. They are advisory. They can make recommendations and people can choose to take them on board or not

Generally, however, it’s wise to take their thoughts on board.

The war is over. You’re living in the past.

So you would prefer the MTA fans descend on Birmingham and major disorder breaks out around the town centre, around the ground (a heavily residential area) and in various other pockets around the city? Maybe if it’s not on your doorstep you would prefer that. Would it be exciting for you?

The SAG haven’t taken this decision lightly. It’s to prevent disorder well beyond that of a normal football crowd.

From Aston Villa:

Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group.

The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.

Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.

West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.

SAG can’t make an instruction. I think AV may be trying to play with words a bit here. I have chaired a SAG so am somewhat au fait.

Well of course it's discriminatory but last time I looked being discriminated against because you are a supporter of a particular football team, whose travelling supporters have a track record anti-Muslim violence, which is due to play a game in an area with a large Muslim population, at a time when tensions between Muslims and Jews is particularly high, funnily enough isn't against the Equalities Act. Tbh I refuse to believe that you could be so obtuse to be 'shocked' at this. To avoid the high likelihood of violence at the game they can either ban a few thousand MTA supporters, or ban them plus fifty thousand AV supporters too. It's a perfectly proportionate response of a sort that is used fairly often.

OP have you ever been to a football match?

“Maybe if it’s not on your doorstep you would prefer that. Would it be exciting for you?”

Excuse me?

This is why people find pro Israelis abominable. They just want to wash their hands and forget and act like nothing happened but we will never forget. The world is disgusted and the tide has turned. You don’t get to forget you committed a genocide.