Your editorial argues that “Policing has become more party political” (The Guardian view on Craig Guildford’s departure: right decision, dangerous implications, 16 January). Yet calls for chief constable Craig Guildford to resign or be sacked came from across the main political spectrum, backed up by a near-consensus in the media. Either no one was aware that away fans have been banned in other football matches (such as the “Old Firm” Glasgow derby) or that some Maccabi Tel Aviv fans “had form” (confirmed by a suspended one-match ban after the game against Stuttgart).
The one other explanation – that, despite their reputation, an exception had to be made because of the nationality of the club the fans supported – indicates that the entire political and media establishment leapt to the wrong conclusion about antisemitism, but demanded a scapegoat regardless, until they got the resignation they wanted. The home secretary then made a grab to centralise power to ensure that other chief constables got the message and know what will happen if they make a similar decision in the future. The “dangerous implications” are already here.
Derrick Cameron
Stoke-on-Trent
• In light of what appears to be the enforced decision to retire by the chief constable of West Midlands police, we wish to applaud the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the match between them and Aston Villa.
Both Craig Guildford and the local safety advisory group were subjected to great pressure from government figures such as Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy to withdraw the ban. Would these politicians have resigned if the police had caved in to their pressure and the local community had experienced violence from football fans as a result?
At the time there was evidence presented, and now apparently forgotten, regarding the racist and violent behaviour by the notorious Maccabi fans, notably but not exclusively at the match against Ajax in Amsterdam. There was no way that anybody acting with a sense of responsibility could make any other decision.
Christine Bridges and Bob Helson
Bristol
• If everyone who used an AI tool to produce dubious results was fired from their job, employment tribunals would be even busier than they are. The West Midlands chief constable did make errors, but there remains continuing and more recent evidence that the Israeli football fans in question are at least in part hardline hooligans. They are hardly the first from a range of countries to face a ban for that reason. The bigger question, which seems to have disappeared from view, is why Israeli teams are still allowed to participate in football tournaments while their government continues its policy of death and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank.
Keith Flett
London
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