Villa told stewards they could miss Maccabi Tel Aviv game

Aston Villa told their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the club's Europa League fixture against Maccabi Tel Aviv next month, saying they understood that some "may have concerns".

Staff were informed they had permission to skip their duties before a decision was made to ban fans of the Israeli club from attending the game at Villa Park, sparking widespread criticism.

On Thursday Villa said the city's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) had concluded that Maccabi Tel Aviv's supporters should be blocked from attending over safety concerns.

The UK government has since said it is working to overturn the ban, and is exploring what additional resources might be required, with a meeting of the SAG to discuss the match expected next week.

However, it has now emerged that some Villa stewards may have chosen to not work at the match.

Villa have declined to comment.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is the latest senior Government figure to say the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans must be overturned.

Asked on Sky News if Villa Park was now a no-go area for Jews as a result of the decision, he said: "No, and it can't be, and I'm very, very clear about that."

Miliband, who is from a Jewish family, said: "We cannot have a situation where any area is a no-go area for people of a particular religion or from a particular country, and we've got to stamp out all forms of prejudice, antisemitism, Islamophobia - wherever we find them."

He said he "profoundly disagreed" with a petition - supported by Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr - which called for the match to be cancelled, held behind closed doors or played in a neutral country.

In an email sent on 3 October by Villa's matchday safety team, and seen by BBC Sport, stewards were told that "regarding the upcoming fixture against Maccabi Tel Aviv... we appreciate that some of you may have concerns about attending work".

Stewards are then informed they "will be able to submit a one-off absence request", and this "will allow you to register your absence for this specific fixture".

The club also make clear that "this type of absence will not affect your contractual minimum attendance of 80%".

It is not clear how many stewards have so far chosen to take up the offer to miss the match, or whether this was a factor in the subsequent decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv's fans from attending.

The BBC has been told that the email followed a number of Villa's stewards raising safety concerns with the club, and that the offer is set to stand if the ban on away supporters is lifted.

Requests to miss the match must be submitted at least four working days before the fixture.

On Thursday West Midlands Police said it supported the ban, adding that it had classified the fixture as "high risk" based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including "violent clashes and hate-crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Amsterdam."

More than 60 people were arrested over the violence.

After the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was announced on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the move "wrong", adding "we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets". There has also been criticism from other party leaders.

At the time, Villa said they had been informed of the decision following "an instruction from the SAG". They added that West Midlands Police had advised the SAG that it had "public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night".

The club said they were in "continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision".

The SAG, which advises the council on whether to issue safety certificates, will review the decision if West Midlands Police changes its risk assessment for the match, Birmingham City Council has said.

Villa are represented on the SAG, along with the local authority, police and other emergency services.

The Home Office was briefed that restrictions on visiting fans might be imposed last week, but the BBC was told that officials were not informed about the final decision until Thursday.