Police Chief Resigns Amid Controversy Over Tel Aviv Football Ban Protests

Acting Chief Constable Scott Green referred several senior officers for investigation regarding the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban. The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, stated he lacked the legal authority to dismiss the chief constable.

via itv.com·theguardian.com

Scott Green has been appointed as the new acting chief of West Midlands Police, focusing on repairing damage to the Jewish community, following Craig Guildford's resignation after admitting to using incorrect evidence.

via expressandstar.com·theboar.org

An accountability hearing is currently underway at the West Midlands Police headquarters to investigate the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. The hearing will examine the police's actions before, during, and after the ban was announced.

via birminghammail.co.uk

UK ministers are set to gain direct powers to dismiss failing chief constables as part of new police reform laws, a development linked to the fallout from the Tel Aviv fan ban.

via birminghammail.co.uk

A preliminary report by a British policing watchdog, which led to the police chief's resignation, is criticized for failing to include voices from Birmingham's Muslim community in its investigation of the fan ban.

via middleeasteye.net

Leaked audio from October 2025 reveals a senior West Midlands police officer claimed Birmingham residents planned to 'arm themselves' in self-defense before a Maccabi Tel Aviv match.

via jewishnews.co.uk

Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Midlands Police announces his immediate retirement, stating that the 'political and media frenzy' surrounding his position had become detrimental to the force.

via getmoresports.com·jpost.com·thecanary.co·youtube.com·timesofisrael.com

Police issued clarifications regarding the Jewish community's involvement in the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, following controversy over the intelligence and justification used.

via independent.co.uk

Sir Andy Cooke criticized senior police for fabricating evidence to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, citing inaccurate information.

via residence-lexv.fr

West Midlands Police Chief Craig Guildford apologized to MPs, admitting that incorrect evidence leading to the fan ban was generated by Microsoft Copilot AI, contradicting his initial claim that human research was responsible.

via timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Official inspection reports from GOV.UK and His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary confirmed that West Midlands Police advised reducing ticket allocation to zero for the Maccabi Tel Aviv match and indicated errors in their handling of the fan ban.

via dailymail.co.uk·ministryofinjustice.co.uk·gov.uk·whispering.media

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly announces she has lost confidence in Chief Constable Craig Guildford, following an independent report that highlighted 'a failure of leadership' and 'damning' errors in WMP's intelligence gathering for the ban.

via getmoresports.com·jpost.com·thecanary.co·youtube.com·timesofisrael.com

Police chiefs publicly defended their decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to Members of Parliament, asserting it was based on safety concerns and intelligence suggesting local community members might arm themselves, while denying any conspiracy.

via youtube.com

Documents revealed West Midlands Police knew of antisemitism warnings weeks before claiming Jewish community support for the Tel Aviv football ban. This led to MPs demanding Chief Craig Guildford's resignation on January 15, 2026, and Commissioner Simon Foster announcing his retirement the next day.

via news.sky.com·youtube.com·youtube.com