Police chief retires over ban of Maccabi fans at Aston Villa
ESPN • • world
Key Points:
- Craig Guildford, chief constable of West Midlands Police, retired immediately following criticism over his recommendation to ban Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a Europa League match against Aston Villa.
- A report found that the decision to ban Maccabi fans overstated the threat they posed and underestimated the risk to them, leading to widespread criticism.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed a loss of confidence in Guildford and called for his resignation, though currently only locally elected police and crime commissioners have the authority to remove him.
- Mahmood is seeking to restore the power of home secretaries to dismiss police chiefs, a power removed by a 2011 Conservative government policy.
- The ban occurred amid heightened concerns about
