Police operation as Villa host Maccabi Tel Aviv with away fans banned

More than 700 police officers will be on duty on Thursday evening as Aston Villa hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv in a Europa League match at Villa Park, a fixture marked by a ban on visiting supporters and planned protests nearby. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm on November 6, and authorities say the large policing operation is intended to protect public safety and facilitate peaceful demonstration while minimising disruption.

Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group announced last month that visiting fans would be barred from attending the match on public safety grounds. Maccabi Tel Aviv later said it would decline any away tickets even if the ban were reversed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for the decision to be reconsidered, prompting parliamentary debate over the handling of the fixture.

West Midlands Police said it will deploy more than 700 officers, including mounted units, police dogs, a drone unit and road policing resources. The force has imposed a temporary restriction on drone flights within a one nautical mile radius of Villa Park between 2pm and 11.59pm on match day, and warned that flying a drone in that area during those hours will be a criminal offence. The police also...