The Maccabi Tel Aviv ban investigation by the police watchdog has been formally extended to Craig Guildford, the former chief constable of West Midlands Police, over gross misconduct allegations connected to the banning of Israeli supporters from a Europa League fixture against Aston Villa. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has given notice that Guildford, three serving police officers and one staff member are all under investigation.
The IOPC launched an independent investigation in January to examine the involvement of West Midlands Police officers in the planning and preparation of the match at Villa Park on 6 November 2025. The ban provoked national and international debate, with the government saying it would do everything in its power to have it overturned.
What the Maccabi Tel Aviv ban investigation alleges against Guildford
The watchdog said evidence indicates that Guildford ‘may have had oversight on an intelligence briefing document presented to the safety advisory group (SAG) that was later reported to have contained inaccuracies and misleading information’. The briefing document is alleged to have ‘gave an imbalanced view of the risk away fans posed’, contributing to the decision to ban the supporters.
The IOPC added: ‘We consider Mr Guildford may have failed to ensure due diligence and the highest level of scrutiny over such an influential document.’
A senior serving officer who played a lead role in compiling the briefing is also under investigation for allegedly failing to ensure its accuracy. The watchdog said that officer may not have accurately represented some information, which could have resulted in the briefing ‘lacking impartiality’. Investigators are also examining whether that officer ‘may have failed to appropriately handle sensitive intelligence’ contained in the report before it was shared with SAG members.
AI searches and questions of impartiality among officers
A staff member involved in researching and compiling intelligence for the game is alleged to have sourced inaccurate information from AI searches and to have taken no subsequent action to help ensure it was not included in briefings. According to a UK Parliament select committee report, a reference to the West Ham match within the intelligence had come from the use of Microsoft Copilot AI. The episode raised questions about the reliability of AI-generated material being fed into police planning documents ahead of a high-profile fixture.
Two further senior serving officers who played important roles in the force’s planning for the game have also been notified they are being investigated for potential misconduct. One is alleged to have been insufficiently diligent in overseeing the operation, including in balancing operational needs alongside engaging with local Jewish communities, and to have displayed a lack of impartiality towards Maccabi fans in both external and internal communications.
The other officer faces investigation in relation to oversight of the briefing document and an allegation that they too lacked balance in references to Maccabi supporters.
The fixture itself, as The Athletic reported, was a Europa League match. The decision to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv’s travelling support became a flashpoint in a broader debate about policing, community relations and the handling of intelligence ahead of European club fixtures.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv ban investigation now covers five individuals in total: the former chief constable, one staff member and three serving officers operating at different levels of the planning process. The IOPC has not indicated a timetable for the conclusion of its investigation.
