West Midlands Police chief constable apologises to MPs over Microsoft CoPilot blunder that wrongly cited a nonexistent West Ham match in justifying a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Aston Villas Europa League game.
West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford has issued a formal apology to MPs after admitting that faulty evidence given to Parliament stemmed from a Microsoft CoPilot error, not a Google search as first thought.
The blunder relates to the forces recommendation to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a Europa League match against Aston Villa on 6 November, a call that ignited fierce political backlash.
Guildford stressed no intent to deceive but owned the mistake fully in letters to the Home Affairs Select Committee, amid broader scrutiny of policing decisions around high profile fixtures involving international tensions.
Apology for misleading evidence
Guildford wrote to Dame Karen Bradley, committees chair, confirming the error about a nonexistent West Ham United versus Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture appeared in a report to Birminghams Safety Advisory Group. He initially believed Google caused it during preparations for committee hearings but learned on Friday it came from Microsoft CoPilot. My belief was honestly held and there was no intention to mislead, he stated, offering profound apologies for confusion caused to the committee and MPs.
The force earlier clarified no documented Jewish community support existed for the ban pre match, though some later voiced private agreement. Assistant chief constable Mike OHara had told the committee that Jewish representatives backed the exclusion, a claim West Midlands Police later retracted, admitting no such feedback existed in records.
Chief constable Guildford noted that community members often share views confidentially, which complicated public documentation.
Reasons behind the ban decision
Police classified the Aston Villa fixture high risk citing intelligence on prior clashes, including violent incidents and hate crimes at Maccabis 2024 Europa League game against Ajax in Amsterdam. Reports detailed ugly scenes there, with fans clashing amid broader geopolitical strains.
The Safety Advisory Group, comprising council, police and officials, approved barring away supporters to avert similar disorder at Villa Park. Netherlands Police later challenged details in West Midlands reports justification, questioning accuracy of cited events.
Birmingham City Council now plans an independent review by an external law firm to refine governance for future events, aiming to improve processes after lessons from the backlash. The council stressed its commitment to learning from the episode to handle sensitive matches better.
Political fallout and review
Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed the ban as wrong, vowing efforts to allow Maccabi fans entry, though none attended in the end. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood tasked His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services with probing risk assessments by English and Welsh forces for such events, due by 31 March.
Mahmood received the findings this morning and will address MPs today, outlining next steps. The Home Office confirmed she got the Chief Inspectorates letter on West Midlands Polices role in recommending the ban. Meanwhile, UEFA fined Maccabi 20,000 euros and issued a suspended away ban over fan chanting deemed discriminatory during another match this month.
The saga underscores challenges in balancing security with free access at football grounds, especially when global conflicts colour supporter dynamics. Policing leaders hope the reviews will set clearer guidelines to avoid repeats.
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