What happened last time away fans were banned at Aston Villa amid Maccabi Tel Aviv latest
Aston Villa are central to massive controversy ahead of their clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The B6 club have had a perfect start to their Europa League campaign, with Villa beating Feyenoord 2-0 in their last midweek outing.
Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie was less than impressed, but that didn’t stop Unai Emery’s side from taking all three points away from the Netherlands.
Villa are now preparing to face Tottenham before their return to the Netherlands on Thursday to face Go Ahead Eagles in continental action.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will be the claret and blue outfit’s next Europa League visitors at Villa Park, but will do so without any travelling supporters.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans not permitted inside Villa Park
Keir Starmer has been left unhappy by Aston Villa’s statement, which revealed that away supporters will not be allowed inside the B6 ground for the Tel Aviv clash.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) has decided to do so because of safety concerns outside of Villa Park that could cause issues for the West Midlands Police.
The threat of protests and potential violence is considered a significant risk and is beyond Villa’s control, as SAG has set parameters to secure a stadium safety certificate for the fixture.
This has caused widespread controversy in the football world and beyond, with various parties coming under fire for this choice.
Away fans have been blocked from entry to the Doug Ellis previously, resulting in one of the most infamous moments in recent memory in B6.
Aston Villa denied Legia Warsaw fans entry in 2023
Villa won’t want to keep out any supporters, but in the case of Tel Aviv, it is out of their control.
In 2023, the Villans were forced to take action as thousands of away fans of Legia Warsaw turned up to Witton without a ticket for a Conference League clash.
The travelling Polish supporters were unhappy with the lack of allocation, which was around 800.
Legia felt that they should have had at least 2000 tickets, so they turned up in huge numbers, hoping to be allowed in regardless.
They went on to clash with local police before being forced into a car park outside the ground due to concerns for home supporters’ safety.
Eventually, they were let go, and some fans decided to head over to the Holte End, where they launched various sauces and condiments from a nearby food vendor into the stands.
This was a moment to remember in what was otherwise a largely dull 2-1 win, with “mayonnaise protection” later installed in the form of nets on the side of the stand.
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