‘ I welcome the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa! Well done to all those that signed our petition!’
Hampshire council spends 83% of its budget on social care.
FT.
Which is simultaneously awful, but I bet it's not the worst one out there. I wonder which council is spending the highest percentage of its budget on social care?
There is plenty more blame than that. We've known since the days of the Dilnot Report in 2011 what the problem is and what the least bad answer is... But it involves paying more tax to spread the risk and we, as a nation, aren't prepared to vote for that.
Johnson was a ghastly man who deserved to go. But he at least acknowledged the problem and was willing to do something about it. Was it Truss or Sunak.who ditched the HSC levy?
‘ I welcome the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa! Well done to all those that signed our petition!’
‘ I welcome the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa! Well done to all those that signed our petition!’
Hampshire council spends 83% of its budget on social care.
FT.
Which is simultaneously awful, but I bet it's not the worst one out there. I wonder which council is spending the highest percentage of its budget on social care?
There is plenty more blame than that. We've known since the days of the Dilnot Report in 2011 what the problem is and what the least bad answer is... But it involves paying more tax to spread the risk and we, as a nation, aren't prepared to vote for that.
Johnson was a ghastly man who deserved to go. But he at least acknowledged the problem and was willing to do something about it. Was it Truss or Sunak.who ditched the HSC levy?
On checking, it was swept away in the Truss-Kwarteng tsunami.
Keeping an open mind myself; the Frank Pick underground map did take time to be accepted and more.
I love it.
Sounds as if you can go and buy your own to hang above the garden shed model railway, too. It's either going to be sold out or remaindered very cheaply - I can't tell which.
WRT the China prosecution DPP thing, would I be right in thinking that more or less everyone who is following it at all assumes that the reason why it isn't going ahead is entirely political and about not offending China, that there is small possibility of getting at the truth, that it won't be interesting at all unless heads start to threaten to roll, that all politicians will want to make sure that that doesn't happen, that the real long term issue is the extent to which we are in China's hands and can't get out of it and it's beginning to look like a mistake, and there is no possibility at all of getting the whole story, and probably we shouldn't anyway, and that this is how the world of power works and the public don't find it especially shocking?
I would expect you to say that, and you'd expect me to disagree, but there are a couple of important points to mention.
1. Bit rich to waft this away as a boring Westminster bubble story when Boris was defenestrated over some cake.
2. Had the Government decided to drop the prosecution on the basis that it was not in the national interest, that would have been a scandal, but the story would have had nowhere to go. That they chose to do so by collapsing the case due to lack of evidence and then make a gauche attempt to cover their tracks, is proving their undoing. They are serial liars, and bad ones.
3. This is a very serious issue. If this prosecution is allowed to fail, it gives China carte blanche to spy on any MP - frankly any person in the UK. It effectively legalises the activity. That cannot be allowed to stand.
4. China's influence over UK politics is massively in excess of its importance to the UK economy. This is being framed as a big choice between the economy and national security - that massively flatters the Government's position. Actually Chinese trade is worth very little to the UK economy. Its influence is due to a toxic cadre of power brokers including Mandelson, Powell, Blair, and frankly Starmer.
5. You acknowledge that the Government is seeking to mislead the public - what we shall now find out is whether the PM mislead the House of Commons.
The firm at the heart of Britain's critical minerals strategy has ditched plans for a rare earths refinery in the UK, and will build it in the US instead.
It's a serious blow to the Chancellor and her plans for "securonomics" ahead of next month's Budget
Lack of support. That ‘may’ include energy but, like Biopharma, it looks like the US wants to support these key industries more than other nations.
‘But now I've learnt Pensana has decided to ditch its plans for a UK rare earths refinery and will instead refine its metals in the US instead.
Why? Because the US is providing far more support and security to critical minerals firms. Britain & Europe are losing the race’
This one isn't a race. It's about strategic independence.
There's no real need to beat the US to it (in itself it's not a particularly large market); but there is an absolute need to have independent European production capacity.
Hampshire council spends 83% of its budget on social care.
FT.
Which is simultaneously awful, but I bet it's not the worst one out there. I wonder which council is spending the highest percentage of its budget on social care?
There is plenty more blame than that. We've known since the days of the Dilnot Report in 2011 what the problem is and what the least bad answer is... But it involves paying more tax to spread the risk and we, as a nation, aren't prepared to vote for that.
Johnson was a ghastly man who deserved to go. But he at least acknowledged the problem and was willing to do something about it. Was it Truss or Sunak.who ditched the HSC levy?
Sorry, but no, the Dilnot Report is a disgrace that should never see the light of day.
Why should working people pay more tax so that those who aren't working can evade paying for themselves their own living costs, so they can pass on more money to someone who hasn't worked for it?
I couldn't care less if someone's savings get consumed by their own living costs, pay for yourself. Nobody has a right to an inheritance and its one thing to arguing against taxing them, its another to tax people to get that money to fund someone's inheritance.
The interesting thing is it's the face of an attempt to regain an unified design/logo/brand for railways in GB. How far this is possible is a good question.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
The firm at the heart of Britain's critical minerals strategy has ditched plans for a rare earths refinery in the UK, and will build it in the US instead.
It's a serious blow to the Chancellor and her plans for "securonomics" ahead of next month's Budget
Lack of support. That ‘may’ include energy but, like Biopharma, it looks like the US wants to support these key industries more than other nations.
‘But now I've learnt Pensana has decided to ditch its plans for a UK rare earths refinery and will instead refine its metals in the US instead.
Why? Because the US is providing far more support and security to critical minerals firms. Britain & Europe are losing the race’
This one isn't a race. It's about strategic independence.
There's no real need to beat the US to it (in itself it's not a particularly large market); but there is an absolute need to have independent European production capacity.
Agreed, though there is a difference between battery/panel materials and hydrocarbons. It's a variant on the capital/revenue spend confusion I occasionally rant about.
At the moment, we are too China-dependent for panel and battery materials, definitely. But they are mostly one-off things; once we have them, they work for years and are recyclable for decades.
Before that, we were too dependent on all sorts of dodgy countries for oil and methane. And because we burned those, we needed an ongoing supply. With the bad geopolitical effects around us.
Apart from Norway, has any hydrocarbon nation really been happy as a result? When I was a sort-of Earth Scientist, we used on this... see also the lottery winners who ruin their lives as a result.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
The firm at the heart of Britain's critical minerals strategy has ditched plans for a rare earths refinery in the UK, and will build it in the US instead.
It's a serious blow to the Chancellor and her plans for "securonomics" ahead of next month's Budget
Kwasi Kwarteng was Secretary of State for Business until September 2022 - there's a photo in that thread of Kwarteng posing with a shovel at the intended site for this refinery. So that photo must have been taken at least three years ago.
So why isn't the refinery already built?
The photo is from July 2022. In the accompanying government press release, it is said that "Pensana expect operations to begin at the end of 2023."
It's stated that government money is being provided, though it's not explicit how much: "The facility is backed by the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund, an £850 million programme to electrify Britain’s automotive supply chain and protect our nation’s competitiveness in the global market."
So, y'know, credit to the government at the time, it looks like the sort of thing the PB consensus would be in favour of. What went wrong? Why wasn't it built?
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
No, its a very realistic one.
An economic one would be catastrophic though, you are complacent if you think its inconsequential.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
A spokesperson said: "This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
By "hate crime offences " they mean a night of "hunt a jew" attacks.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
Yes; Taiwan doesn't have nuclear weapons.
The quote was "major conflagration between the US and China" not "major conflagration between the Taiwan and China" though.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
Yes; Taiwan doesn't have nuclear weapons.
The quote was "major conflagration between the US and China" not "major conflagration between the Taiwan and China" though.
It’s easy to see how this happens though isn’t. The Chinese attempt a blockade of Taiwan. The US decides to break it by sailing in anyway. Massive room for miscalculation. And from there it could potentially escalate very quickly.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
Yes; Taiwan doesn't have nuclear weapons.
It would be very difficult for China to take Taiwan without resorting to nuclear weapons. I doubt they want the Island that much.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
Unless I change my mind in the next couple of hours, today will mark the first time I haven't bothered to vote in an election at which I've been an eligible elector.
I really don't care strongly about Surrey County council getting another wussy LibDem doing double/treble duty until the new Unitaries come in, and the only realistic alternative is likely to be the Reform candidate which I couldn't bring myself to countenance.
30 years late, but I've finally found my inner GenX trademark apathy.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
Yes; Taiwan doesn't have nuclear weapons.
So they like you to think.
Given the technological sophistication of that country that would be.... surprising. Even if they currently don't they could have them within months and no doubt will if the US umbrella is withdrawn.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
They were on the receiving end of abuse themselves in Amsterdam (before the hunt the Jew stuff began).
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
More victim blaming, its sick.
If a club's supporters go too far and break the rules there is a procedure in place to punish them by making them play behind closed doors next time, following that. Has that procedure happened here?
Has it buggery.
It isn't due to the away fans behaviour this is happening.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
It should happen in Birmingham but any crap from either set of fans, or the twats travelling to join in, should be met with "pro-active policing".
There is also huge reputational risk here for Villa and their fans. Perhaps the best option is no fans at all.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
Plenty of European teams fans are. ‘Universally known’ to be scumbags.
So if the fans are that bad why were they not banned from away games full stop ?
If there is a problem it should be dealt with by UEFA and why should all fans be punished for the actions of a minority. Anyway in Amsterdam the home supporters were hardly blameless.
We’ve had Italian and east European fans with far right leanings not banned.
We all know why Jewish fans are banned from Birmingham but not a single PBer will state the simple reason. It is pitiful
And it is this centrist Dad cowardice that has led the UK - and several other European nations - to such a perilous and mortifying place
Israeli fans. Most British Jewish fans are fans of British teams.
There'll be a fair few Maccabi Tel Aviv fans here who also support Arsenal, Spurs, etc. Arsenal learnt a few years ago to stick embargos on ticket sales for Champions League games. Since Cologne bought 20,000 in 2017, you have to have an Arsenal membership before the draw is made to get anywhere near a ticket in the home end. Still plenty of Olympiakos fans in the home end the other night, mind!
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
Tommy Robinson’s lot were called MIG’s. Men in Gear as they thought they had good dress sense. Although they were nicknamed ‘Men in Running Gear’ as they ran more often than not, apparently.
Not a side of football I ever embraced but I was friendly with, and worked for, a few zulus.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
I always found Port Vale to be a bit edgy. Although I did have a pint with some of their casuals on one visit.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
It should happen in Birmingham but any crap from either set of fans, or the twats travelling to join in, should be met with "pro-active policing".
There is also huge reputational risk here for Villa and their fans. Perhaps the best option is no fans at all.
Yeah, play it behind closed doors.
Atmosphere wise there’s going to be no difference.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
It should happen in Birmingham but any crap from either set of fans, or the twats travelling to join in, should be met with "pro-active policing".
There is also huge reputational risk here for Villa and their fans. Perhaps the best option is no fans at all.
Yeah, play it behind closed doors.
Atmosphere wise there’s going to be no difference.
I remember when the FA wouldn't light up Wembley arch to recognise Oct 7th, despite having done it for lots of previous incidents, something something worried about Austrlia when they play an Arab team.
And now the policy no signs of support in such a manner.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
I always found Port Vale to be a bit edgy. Although I did have a pint with some of their casuals on one visit.
Had my first visit to the Burslem Bernabeu a few weeks ago. Facilities a bit rough and ready, but a better ground than their neighbour's.
Prince Andrew met the top Chinese official at the centre of the Beijing spy case at least three times, The Telegraph can reveal.
Is there a single scandal that this man cannot be linked to in any way?
Watergate?
Nobody knows what was on those 18 minutes of erased tape. Just saying.
An 18 minute argument between Andrew and Nixon over who picks up the next Pizza Express tab is one of the less likely scenarios. Still, probably best not to rule it out though…
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
I always found Port Vale to be a bit edgy. Although I did have a pint with some of their casuals on one visit.
Well its in a much shitter part of town (which is saying something in Stoke) and quite a dump of a stadium, so it definitely gives off those vibes.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
I always found Port Vale to be a bit edgy. Although I did have a pint with some of their casuals on one visit.
Had my first visit to the Burslem Bernabeu a few weeks ago. Facilities a bit rough and ready, but a better ground than their neighbour's.
The maximum pitch size is absolutely massive. Back in their hey day under John Rudge away teams didn't know what hit them when they had two winners who hogged the touchline and the opposition had to do the sort of running you see at Wembley.
The weird thing in America is that in the morning you can meet a charming, generous, hospitable Republican and in the afternoon you can meet a charming, generous hospitable Democrat - and as an outsider what strikes you is how similar they are. And yet they utterly loathe each other
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
I think David is right here.
Limit the numbers if need be to separate the fans.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Cute victim-blaming there.
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
This episode is as shameful a moment for modern Britain as I can remember.
The Chief Constable of West Midlands really should resign. This is appalling.
I can understand the concern. But the response is wrong. Move the game. Abroad if necessary.
Feck off. Send the army in, if necessary. The very idea that it is simply not safe for fans to come and watch a football match in this country is nothing short of humiliating.
I don't think we should be under the illusion that Maccabi fans are angels. Any trouble would almost certainly be partly their doing. But the problem is specific to certain locations.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
Weirdly it is that long ago that Stoke had a really bad reputation for trouble.
You're talking about football fans looking for trouble! I'm sure Stoke still have their fare-share of trouble makers.
Stoke "firm" had a crap name, Naughty Forty, but they were still going strong in the noughties when lots of other clubs had managed to quieten the trouble.
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
Tommy Robinson’s lot were called MIG’s. Men in Gear as they thought they had good dress sense. Although they were nicknamed ‘Men in Running Gear’ as they ran more often than not, apparently.
Not a side of football I ever embraced but I was friendly with, and worked for, a few zulus.
Denizens of thisbiarf might be interested to know I am at an evenin with Jimmy Anderson at tge Lowry. Amongst otger things, he is entertainingly disparaging about tge Hundred.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
Some football supporters have a tendency towards bad behaviour.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
This is the lot who were chanting such lovely things over in Amsterdam? Something about there being 'no schools in Gaza' and 'may your village burn' also quite a bit of wishing death to Arabs? One can't understand why the police wouldn't want them in Birmingham.
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
As a supporter of a club with a reputation for violent fans it is only a small minority who engage in such stuff. No it is not right or defendable but why just single them out if this is the issue.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
Are the chants and actions of the Maccabi fans really equivalent to England fans chanting the classics? I think I would share your view if we hadn't seen what they got up to in Amsterdam. They have form, are universally known to be pretty horrible and Birmingham is not the place for it.
Plenty of European teams fans are. ‘Universally known’ to be scumbags.
So if the fans are that bad why were they not banned from away games full stop ?
If there is a problem it should be dealt with by UEFA and why should all fans be punished for the actions of a minority. Anyway in Amsterdam the home supporters were hardly blameless.
We’ve had Italian and east European fans with far right leanings not banned.
I don't know why they weren’t banned for it. Of course the footballing precedent is to ban all fans if enough cause trouble so this situation is not unique to the Israelis. And yes the Amsterdam fracas was not just Maccabi fans but they didn't help themselves, I remember that they were cheering during a minutes silence for flood victims, more of a Millwall approach to international relations.
Be wary of what you read in the Jewish Chronicle. It was once a very fine newspaper with extremely high editorial standards, but following a change of ownership this can no longer be said with confidence.
Ban Jews from supporting their club because people are so racist they might not be safe? What a disgraceful victim-blaming attitude.
Villa are a crap club with wankers for fans.
The West Mids Police are a disgrace.
Not sure how much this is Villa's fault.
The Police much more to blame.
If Villa and the Police can't ensure safety it should be relocated to be played in another country that can keep fans safe.
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Macabi Tel Aviv fans are not always the peace-loving soccerballists some on pb imagine.
That’s beside the point. What is being said is that the police and club cannot or will not guarantee the safety of the away fans, primarily from attack, not, I believe from Villa fans, but from the nasty Palestine Action supporting antisemitic protesters who unrest our towns and cities and somehow get away with stuff that other protesters don’t. That poor Oxford lad probably can’t believe he’s being made an example of. He must feel like someone knocked for doing 71 on the motorway right now.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that he hasn't cleared out yes-men to replace them with people who will challenge him, thus improving the quality of decision-making.
The worrying thing about this is the highly disproportionate number of military leaders who appear to have been purged.
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Markets have no clue how to price this sort of geopol risk, so they tend to just ignore it until it happens and then correct sharply. But the risk of a major conflagration between the US and China is far higher than many are prepared to admit.
The risk of a violent conflagration is extremely low, nuclear weapons ensure that.
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Sorry to say but that’s a very complacent view.
Yes; Taiwan doesn't have nuclear weapons.
I seem to remember that they have all the parts to make them, quite quickly, if they wanted to.
I remember when the FA wouldn't light up Wembley arch to recognise Oct 7th, despite having done it for lots of previous incidents, something something worried about Austrlia when they play an Arab team.
And now the policy no signs of support in such a manner.
Telling that the policy had to be updated on that specific issue. Says more than they probably thuoght it did.
Denizens of thisbiarf might be interested to know I am at an evenin with Jimmy Anderson at tge Lowry. Amongst otger things, he is entertainingly disparaging about tge Hundred.
Comments
‘ I welcome the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa! Well done to all those that signed our petition!’
https://x.com/ayoubkhanmp/status/1978872616279536026?s=61
I never said it was Villa’s fault. I just made an observation about the club and its supporters.
Johnson was a ghastly man who deserved to go. But he at least acknowledged the problem and was willing to do something about it. Was it Truss or Sunak.who ditched the HSC levy?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/16/great-british-railways-clock-launches-london-bridge
Keeping an open mind myself; the Frank Pick underground map did take time to be accepted and more.
https://railclock.davwheat.dev
1. Bit rich to waft this away as a boring Westminster bubble story when Boris was defenestrated over some cake.
2. Had the Government decided to drop the prosecution on the basis that it was not in the national interest, that would have been a scandal, but the story would have had nowhere to go. That they chose to do so by collapsing the case due to lack of evidence and then make a gauche attempt to cover their tracks, is proving their undoing. They are serial liars, and bad ones.
3. This is a very serious issue. If this prosecution is allowed to fail, it gives China carte blanche to spy on any MP - frankly any person in the UK. It effectively legalises the activity. That cannot be allowed to stand.
4. China's influence over UK politics is massively in excess of its importance to the UK economy. This is being framed as a big choice between the economy and national security - that massively flatters the Government's position. Actually Chinese trade is worth very little to the UK economy. Its influence is due to a toxic cadre of power brokers including Mandelson, Powell, Blair, and frankly Starmer.
5. You acknowledge that the Government is seeking to mislead the public - what we shall now find out is whether the PM mislead the House of Commons.
It's about strategic independence.
There's no real need to beat the US to it (in itself it's not a particularly large market); but there is an absolute need to have independent European production capacity.
At this stage, I wouldn't be surprised if I read Andrew secretly travelled back in time to shake hands with Stalin at the Yalta Conference.
Why should working people pay more tax so that those who aren't working can evade paying for themselves their own living costs, so they can pass on more money to someone who hasn't worked for it?
I couldn't care less if someone's savings get consumed by their own living costs, pay for yourself. Nobody has a right to an inheritance and its one thing to arguing against taxing them, its another to tax people to get that money to fund someone's inheritance.
#marchofprogress
If it's about the ageing Xi being in a hurry to cement his legacy, then it might be more than a bit worrying.
Anyone know if the hard liners are the ones purged, or those still in place ?
Labour are worse. Full of utterly useless incompetents who have no idea how to run to a country. And that’s becoming clearer by the day
That's not the reason they're being banned, though, is it?
Galatasaray fans and other clubs fans aren't always peace-loving, but they're not banned.
At the moment, we are too China-dependent for panel and battery materials, definitely. But they are mostly one-off things; once we have them, they work for years and are recyclable for decades.
Before that, we were too dependent on all sorts of dodgy countries for oil and methane. And because we burned those, we needed an ongoing supply. With the bad geopolitical effects around us.
Apart from Norway, has any hydrocarbon nation really been happy as a result? When I was a sort-of Earth Scientist, we used on this... see also the lottery winners who ruin their lives as a result.
That’s hardly news. Even my beloved Birmingham City has the odd one or two pre-disposed towards violence including one of my former Managers
Didn’t that also happen to Radiohead and Pineapple Pizza fan extraordinaire, TSE ?
The risk of an economic one? Very high.
Given how much debt the USA is in, and its persistent deficit, they are very vulnerable to that too.
Leavitt: "The Democrat Party's main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals."
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1978870890935832920
An economic one would be catastrophic though, you are complacent if you think its inconsequential.
By "hate crime offences " they mean a night of "hunt a jew" attacks.
https://x.com/ayoubkhanmp/status/1978872616279536026?s=61
😡
QED
Would our PBers who dislike the Gaza protests also defend this bunch of extremists?
What happened to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam? A complete timeline
Hundreds of Israeli football fans were attacked after some ripped down Palestinian flags and ‘destroyed’ a taxi in the Dutch capital last week
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/what-happened-in-amsterdam-a-timeline-ljm5nlgq
I really don't care strongly about Surrey County council getting another wussy LibDem doing double/treble duty until the new Unitaries come in, and the only realistic alternative is likely to be the Reform candidate which I couldn't bring myself to countenance.
30 years late, but I've finally found my inner GenX trademark apathy.
Why just ban the Israeli teams supporters.
What about England fans who sing ‘2 world wars’, ‘no surrender to the IRA/Taleban’ or the song about German bombers ?
Celtic and Rangers fans with their sectarian chants about the North of Ireland.
Why not ban other clubs with equally awful fans. In Newcastle when they were last in the champions league the opposition fans hardly disnguished themselves as model supporters. No one calls for bans on them.
I reckon the god-awful Bet365 in Stoke would be a better venue as no one is making the effort to go there to cause trouble.
And it is this centrist Dad cowardice that has led the UK - and several other European nations - to such a perilous and mortifying place
Post covid my club Crewe has managed to somehow go from a family friendly club to being featured on a hooligan documentary. Nothing like the 80s, but 100s of little scrouts who attack away fans arriving by train.
If a club's supporters go too far and break the rules there is a procedure in place to punish them by making them play behind closed doors next time, following that. Has that procedure happened here?
Has it buggery.
It isn't due to the away fans behaviour this is happening.
There is also huge reputational risk here for Villa and their fans. Perhaps the best option is no fans at all.
So if the fans are that bad why were they not banned from away games full stop ?
If there is a problem it should be dealt with by UEFA and why should all fans be punished for the actions of a minority. Anyway in Amsterdam the home supporters were hardly blameless.
We’ve had Italian and east European fans with far right leanings not banned.
Not a side of football I ever embraced but I was friendly with, and worked for, a few zulus.
Atmosphere wise there’s going to be no difference.
And now the policy no signs of support in such a manner.
Limit the numbers if need be to separate the fans.
Send a message,
https://x.com/avfcbreaking/status/1978866440594764188?s=61