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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent

What did West Midlands police chief get wrong in decision to ban Maccabi fans?

Craig Guildford Maccabi Police Andy Cooke WMP Simon Foster West Midlands HMIC Amsterdam
Craig Guildford wearing police uniform in a select committee hearing
Craig Guildford appearing before the home affairs committee this month where he performed poorly. Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA

For all her rhetoric after the “devastating” police inspectorate report on the West Midlands police force, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, lacks the power to sack the chief constable Craig Guildford over his force’s intelligence failures after it advocated for a ban on Israeli fans attending a football game in Birmingham in November 2025.

That power rests with Simon Foster, the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands. Here are the considerations for Foster ahead of his decision:

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