Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Martyn Smith on September 25, 2025, 01:23:43 PM

Title: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Martyn Smith on September 25, 2025, 01:23:43 PM
Should UEFA remove Israeli teams from their competitions?

Well, if we're going to ban a country for invading another country. And if we once banned a nation globally from pretty much all sporting competitions, because is practised an apartheid system, then to me there is only one answer to the question for a country that is occupying the lands of and committing genocide against a neighbour

If that doesn't happen, should Villa as a club refuse to play Macabbi Tel Aviv. I agree with the article; they should

Whether or not fans should individually choose not to attend the game is of course a matter for individual consciences. All I know is that for the first time in my life I will be fully and freely able to watch a Villa game in some way and will be actively choosing not to. TNT won't be able to add me to their viewing figures...

https://news.sky.com/story/high-level-talks-in-european-football-about-whether-to-ban-israel-from-international-competitions-13437606
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 01:25:59 PM
Of course the murdering, genocidal, bastards shouldn't be allowed to play competitive sport. Calling them an Apartheid state used to be considered a stick to beat them with, but now they're actually much worse than the South Africans ever were.

I would probably have chosen not to attend but as I am away at the time it has saved me a decision to make. Assuming game goes ahead I hope everyone stays safe.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Sexual Ealing on September 25, 2025, 01:27:38 PM
UEFA/FIFA?IOC etc should ban them. If they don't, we should play the game. I won't be going, but then I rarely do.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 01:37:22 PM
Yes I wasn't suggesting that Villa cut our nose off to spite our faces and hand the twats three points for free.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: markeeeebeeee2005 on September 25, 2025, 01:39:36 PM
Should football teams be made to play against teams representing genocidal states? No, absolutely not. 
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: TheToffnar on September 25, 2025, 01:45:59 PM
Yes I wasn't suggesting that Villa cut our nose off to spite our faces and hand the twats three points for free.

Don't see why this shouldn't be considered in all honesty. If it's as important an issue as we all apparently seem to think it is, the club should boycott the game entirely and damn the points.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Dave on September 25, 2025, 01:49:33 PM
Yes I wasn't suggesting that Villa cut our nose off to spite our faces and hand the twats three points for free.

Don't see why this shouldn't be considered in all honesty. If it's as important an issue as we all apparently seem to think it is, the club should boycott the game entirely and damn the points.

I'd say that this is overreaching quite a bit.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: markeeeebeeee2005 on September 25, 2025, 01:57:03 PM
Not everybody is concerned by the genocide enough for a football game not to happen. Villa shouldn’t be in this position.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: eamonn on September 25, 2025, 01:58:19 PM
15-pages ? Depends how many posts per page user have on their Haitch and Vee settings.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: TheToffnar on September 25, 2025, 02:00:15 PM
You'd be hard pressed to find a more pro Palestinian area of the UK then Aston, or even Birmingham as a whole. Personally, the club taking a stand on behalf of many of it's supporters would be an incredibly proud moment for many of us, especially in an era where 'principle' is a word rarely backed up by action.
 
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: TaxDodger on September 25, 2025, 02:01:14 PM
Villa should absolutely not refuse to play this fixture. If UEFA decide they're qualified enough to assess the situation in the middle east and conclude that the Israeli government's actions merit their teams being thrown out of UEFA based competitions then fine, but we should very much leave this decision to them.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Dave on September 25, 2025, 02:01:22 PM
15-pages ? Depends how many posts per page user have on their Haitch and Vee settings.

I think most of us have covered our thoughts across the last hundred or so posts in the Europa League thread.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: kippaxvilla2 on September 25, 2025, 02:33:39 PM
Fcuk that I want to win and get three points.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: dr.chekov on September 25, 2025, 02:37:20 PM
From The Times:

Uefa members in favour of banning Israel from European football next week…

The Times revealed last month that several European clubs had asked Uefa if there was any way they could avoid playing Israeli opponents…

https://www.thetimes.com/article/11e9dd43-da58-47d5-84e8-23cefe184dd9?shareToken=017972e0589e3345c946970471a493b3


Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Dave on September 25, 2025, 02:50:37 PM
You'd be hard pressed to find a more pro Palestinian area of the UK then Aston, or even Birmingham as a whole. Personally, the club taking a stand on behalf of many of it's supporters would be an incredibly proud moment for many of us, especially in an era where 'principle' is a word rarely backed up by action.

I'd wager that for every supporter feeling pride at our forfeiture of the march and possible removal from the competition, there would be many, many more who would be furious with that course of action.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: bill on September 25, 2025, 02:57:22 PM
Looking forward to the game. Nothing to stop anyone making a principled stand, and personally boycotting it. Trying to impose a boycott on anyone else is a definite no no for me.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: AV82EC on September 25, 2025, 03:23:15 PM
In lieu of UEFA actually having the balls to make a decision one way or another the current state of play is they aren’t banned so we play the game. It’s then up to individuals whether they go or not and to others as to whether they protest or not. It’s what we do in civilised liberal democracies.

I’ll be going unless someone makes a decision affecting the game in the meantime.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: paul_e on September 25, 2025, 03:31:04 PM
As I said in the main Europa League thread I think the opinion of the police is the key for this, I doubt they're looking forward to it after what happened in Amsterdam last year, I can see things being much worse here if the game goes ahead.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: DB on September 25, 2025, 03:35:06 PM
I presume we will get appropriate compensation for loss of revenue?
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: AV82EC on September 25, 2025, 03:37:15 PM
I presume we will get appropriate compensation for loss of revenue?

What revenue are we losing?
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Somniloquism on September 25, 2025, 03:39:26 PM
Ticket revenue, TV coverage, other fans expenditure in the stadium. (Assuming DB is talking about if the match is cancelled if UEFA make a decision).
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: AV82EC on September 25, 2025, 03:40:38 PM
It hasn’t been called off yet or even been moved to behind closed doors.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Somniloquism on September 25, 2025, 03:42:59 PM
No it hasn't, but it does seem that things might be escalating now all the main news is picking it up. So DB is asking about IF it is cancelled.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: AV82EC on September 25, 2025, 03:57:02 PM
No it hasn't, but it does seem that things might be escalating now all the main news is picking it up. So DB is asking about IF it is cancelled.

Ah right. Well I’d assume UEFA have some devilishly clever calculation to ensure we’re not out of pocket. <sarcasm>
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: PeterWithesShin on September 25, 2025, 04:17:43 PM
Quote
The United States government will try to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from competing at the 2026 World Cup.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2xpwedy5no
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: andyh on September 25, 2025, 04:18:27 PM
Just reading the BBC report about the prospect of a vote and an interesting point was raised.
PAOK who played Tel Aviv told their supporters not to use banners or messages at their game, fearing sanctions or punishment from UEFA for displaying political content.

Clubs shouldn’t be fearful of punishment for fans actions in these circumstances - obviously, peaceful actions.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: lovejoy on September 25, 2025, 04:21:09 PM
Quote
The United States government will try to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from competing at the 2026 World Cup.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2xpwedy5no

Countries can just not show up.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Dave on September 25, 2025, 04:23:27 PM
Quote
The United States government will try to prevent any attempt to ban Israel from competing at the 2026 World Cup.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2xpwedy5no

Given they're third in the group behind Norway and Italy, I don't think it'll need a UEFA ban to stop them competing next summer.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 04:26:12 PM
No. I can imagine FIFA saying something like they need time to consider it, knowing that the problem could effectively have gone away by the end of the next international window.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: amfy on September 25, 2025, 04:40:14 PM
*Calling all football fans and opponents of genocide*...
*
KICK ISRAEL OUT OF FIFA

📍 Meeting point: Aston Hall, B6 6JD
📅 Thursday 25th September
🕛 6.30pm

In the same month Russia invaded Ukraine, FIFA banned Russia. Yet despite over 700 days of genocide in Palestine, an israeli team is being openly welcomed to play in our backyards.

It is a duty upon us to make everything and anything associated with the zionist entity unwelcome and unwanted. Football is not innocent. The israeli Football Association not only helps to normalise the genocidal state of israel but also actively participates in the occupation of Palestine, with many israeli football clubs operating on stolen land and illegal settlements.

This is why we need all football fans to show up and show out more than they already have, we can not accept the normalisation of the crimes committed against the Palestinian people!

Up the Villa but DOWN with zionism 🔻⚽️

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOyECLEjNkR/?igsh=MWh1Y3VzeTh4NGJ3Nw==
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Sexual Ealing on September 25, 2025, 04:48:59 PM
Zionism?! I'm all for protesting genocide but that looks like...something else.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 04:51:42 PM
Not really. Zionism used to mean thinking Jewish people should be able to live somewhere. It now means that the state of Israel should be able to take over the whole of Palestine. Perfectly acceptable to oppose it, IMO.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: bill on September 25, 2025, 04:56:16 PM
God, I hate it when politics gets dragged into sport. Enough of this shit. Roll on kick off.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 04:58:01 PM
God, I hate it when politics gets dragged into sport. Enough of this shit. Roll on kick off.

You'll hate it when the IDF deliberately targets and murders players from the Palestine national team, then, yes?
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: PeterWithesShin on September 25, 2025, 04:58:26 PM
Politics has been a big part of sport your entire life.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Ads on September 25, 2025, 04:58:38 PM
Is there a reason we have pro-Hamas iconography on the forum?
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: lovejoy on September 25, 2025, 04:59:45 PM
When has politics not been involved in sport?
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: Sexual Ealing on September 25, 2025, 05:05:36 PM
Not really. Zionism used to mean thinking Jewish people should be able to live somewhere. It now means that the state of Israel should be able to take over the whole of Palestine. Perfectly acceptable to oppose it, IMO.

I think that's a very rigid* interpretation.


*Incorrect.
Title: Re: Removing Israeli teams from UEFA competitions/Boycotting the Maccabi TA game
Post by: cdbearsfan on September 25, 2025, 05:07:43 PM
Disagree. Israel exists. Zionism achieved its goal. People that still choose to label themselves as Zionists are those that think Palestine and, by extension, Palestinians, shouldn't exist. The world might be a better place when people spend more time worrying about genocide and less time worrying hurting the feelings of its perpetrators, so I'll desist.
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