Villa Hardcore and Youth 'hooligan threat' revealed in crucial police report

A police report ahead of the match between Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv made some startling observations about supporters of both teams

Hooligan followers of Aston Villa appear to have been largely driven out of the club, according to police intelligence produced ahead of the controversial European tie with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

An internal report produced for Birmingham Safety Advisory Group that pressed for a ban on away fans included insights into an assessment of the risk posed by Villa's own fans - and it was largely complimentary.

There had been 'very few arrests' all season at Premier League or European fixtures, home or away. In Europe, fans had not experienced 'any significant issues'.

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But it said that there were two 'main risk groups' that had historically posed problems. Called Villa Hardcore and Villa Youth, the police said of them: "Between them they can muster groups of 70 for high profile games, although there have been no large turnouts of risk at any home or away fixtures for many years and there have been no measurable incidents of violence."

In the main fans were positive and 'engage well with visiting supporters and will have positive interactions with the police," they noted.

"As with all clubs some supporters will overindulge on alcohol, especially considering the lateness of the kick-off (it was at 8pm on Thursday November 6)."

They also noted there was an established Jewish Aston Villa fan base, known as Aston Villa Jewish Villans.

READ MORE: Flare-ups and arrests at Villa-Maccabi protests as police 'keep peace' in massive operation

They said there was the potential for 'anti Israel chanting...and for fans to be in possession of Palestine flags' inside the ground, and also a potential for 'antisemitic hate crime'.

But overall the risk of problems was deemed 'low risk'.

In contrast, the fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were said in the report to pose a 'high risk'. That's because they include a hardcore of ultras, potentially numbering several hundreds, some with recent fighting experience and links to the Israeli Defence Force, their nation's Army.

Police confirmed they had investigated holding the game 'behind closed doors' to avoid trouble and to ensure 'impartiality'.

But in their assessment of the best options, they advised that a ban on all fans, or solely on Villa fans, would be 'unfair on Villa supporters who have no recent history of disorder.' A ban on Maccabi fans was deemed the best way to 'significantly reduce the tension between local communities and will take away a significant focus of serious disorder.'

The report was produced by West Midlands Police last month for the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group, tasked with deciding whether to restrict fans from attending the controversial Europa League fixture. It was further updated after politicians and local community leaders intervened and suggested the resulting ban on the away fans was antisemitic.

The report did not mention recent incidents in Paris, when Villa fans were said to have been set upon by PSG fans in a bar, resulting in a mass brawl, or at the Villa home game against Legia Warsaw in 2023, which resulted in 46 arrests, all of fans of the Polish club, with Villa fans on the receiving end.

The ban on Maccabi's fans was kept in place, despite the backlash led by politicians and Jewish groups, after a review. A major police operation was still required in the city on the night of the game last Thursday, November 6. Some 700 police were deployed to keep the peace, with 11 arrests made on the night.

There were flare ups and confrontations, including evidence of hostile chants, but no significant outbreaks of violence or damage.

Who are 'Villa Hardcore'

The club's equivalent of the ultras, the Villa Hardcore date from the 1990s when they took over from previous hooligan groups linked to the club. They were once one of the country's noted 'firms'. They were involved in notable historical clashes including the 2002 Battle of Rocky Lane with Birmingham City fans and an organized brawl with Chelsea Headhunters in 2004.

Some senior members of the firm received significant prison sentences and long-term football banning orders during a huge clampdown in the early 2000s. The Villa Youth are seen as a youth arm of the same organisation.

Isolated incidents still occasionally occur but organised violence involving English club 'firms' has largely been consigned to history due to advances in policing and intelligence gathering, changes at stadia and improved ticketing regimes.

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