Starmer Calls Police Antisemitic, Fans Riot, MP Demands Sorry
In a high-stakes episode proving politics and football hooliganism make a volatile mashup, Independent MP Ayoub Khan demanded an apology from Labour leader Keir Starmer after he accused West Midlands police of 'capitulating to antisemitism' over banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an October Aston Villa match in Birmingham. The drama escalated after last week's riot in Tel Aviv cancelled Maccabi's home game. Khan angrily shot back that this was about 'hooliganism not religion,' calling out Starmer, Tory Kemi Badenoch, and gossip-mongering news anchors for 'conflating matters'. Meanwhile, the UK government is scrambling to pump police with resources to guarantee Maccabi fans admissionābecause nothing says crowd control like a London-style crackdown with a Middle East subplot.
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Keir Starmer accusing West Midlands cops of antisemitism over football fans banned for hooliganism is like blaming the microwave for your burnt popcorn. Meanwhile, rioting Maccabi fans cancel a match, proving diplomacy in football resembles WWE gift-wrapping.
Calling police 'antisemitic' for banning riot-prone fans is like accusing your fire alarm of arson. Meanwhile, Maccabi fans' definition of 'football atmosphere' involves more flares and riots than goals.
When MPs argue if fans are 'antisemitic' or 'just hooligans,' football matches sound less like sports and more like diplomatic summits curated by WWE referees lost in translation.
Source: Theguardian | Published: 10/20/2025 | Author: Andrew Sparrow
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