More than 700 police officers to be deployed for Aston Villa-Maccabi fixture | OneFootball

More than 700 police officers are set to be on duty for Thursday’s Europa League fixture between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, West Midlands Police has confirmed.

This significant deployment follows Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) announcing last month that visiting fans would be barred from attending the match at Villa Park. The decision was made amid public safety concerns, after a police risk assessment classified the game as 'high risk'.

In a statement issued on Monday, the West Midlands force said it will deploy more than 700 officers to keep the public safe and arrest anyone who engages in crime and disorder.

Birmingham Police commander Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce said: “Our message to those from all communities in Birmingham is that we have listened and will continue to engage with you.

“We remain committed to maintaining the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

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Away fans have been barred from attending Thursday’s fixture on safety grounds (PA)

“Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with directly, as will those who incite hate.

“We have been working closely with partners including Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa Football Club, our colleagues in other emergency services, as we put in place our significant policing operation.”

Mr Joyce added: “People can expect to see a large number of uniformed officers, as well as police horses, police dogs, our drone unit, road policing unit, protest liaison officers and others.

“We will also be ensuring that we continue to provide the same great policing service to the whole of the West Midlands.

“People not attending the event should expect significant disruption to the roads in the area on the evening, and we’d urge people to avoid the area where possible.

“We know protests by different groups will take place on the day, and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham.

“We are experienced at policing high profile football matches and demonstrations, and for many weeks now, we have been working closely with different faith and local community groups to listen to their views and concerns.

“Our goal throughout planning for this match is to ensure people can enjoy the football fixture while we continue to keep everyone in Birmingham safe, facilitate peaceful protest and maintain the King’s peace.”

Maccabi announced on October 20 that the club would decline any away tickets for the November 6 clash after the UK Government had said it was “working around the clock” to ensure fans from both sides could attend.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had called for the ban on away fans to be overturned, calling the move “the wrong decision”.

The Israeli club said in a statement: “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.

“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”