Recommendation 12

The principle of police operational independence is an extremely important one, so it is right that Ministers are cautious about intervening in police decision-making. However, by intervening only after the decision to ban away fans was taken, the Government increased tension around the fixture but was ineffectual in enabling Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend the fixture, which reflects unfavourably on the culture of the Home Office. While the Home Secretary herself was not informed directly, it is clear that both the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport were informed on 8 October 2025 that Maccabi fans were likely to be banned from attending the match against Aston Villa. If the Government had intervened privately at this point, to make its preference known, and to offer assurances that the Government was prepared to support with additional resources, a different outcome might have been achieved. The Home Office failed to recognise the significance of the decision and escalate appropriately, which is surprising given that it had already been asked by No. 10 for information regarding the fixture. We believe that early intervention could have been achieved in a way that was sensitive to operational independence. This would have been preferable to the action the Government did take in publicly challenging a policing decision before the event had taken place, without full consideration of the evidence that supported that decision. (Conclusion, Paragraph 47)