The combined Maccabi thread - now with are you going? poll

[Percy McCarthy]

^^ This kind of thing really warms the cockles.

My Polish mate who lives in Village Road is a Villa fan. He’s going today. I left work at 10 this morning, he doesn’t have to leave til 12. I’ll be home about 6, him about 5 past 4. I’m so jealous.

[Somniloquism]

I also fear an unholy alliance between Maccabi fans and our racist thugs.

"ours" as in the club or "ours" as in the countries? Because I can certainly picture some of the people on the 150k march being up for travel to Birmingham for some "brown-skin" bashing business.

[The Edge]

Thanks Olaf for articulating this better than anyone else, although I'm pleasantly surprised that locals support Villa.

I live and work local to Villa Park and can confirm that more and more of the community are becoming attached to their local club which is great. In my local corner shop recently I witnessed some good natured banter with some lads ribbing the shopkeeper because he's a Man United "supporter" who's never been to a game.
Onto the match against Maccabi. I'm confident that our right wing element will stay well out of it. The police will have to be very stringent with enforcing a ring of steel around the ground and escorting them to and from the ground.
If Maccabi fans are allowed to travel in from Israel I'd avoid town like the plague as there will quite literally be fireworks. Celtics ultras wandering around town and being allowed to sing pro IRA shit last year proves how clueless West Midlands finest can be.

[algy]

Great post, olaftab.

I also fear an unholy alliance between Maccabi fans and our racist thugs.

"ours" as in the club or "ours" as in the countries? Because I can certainly picture some of the people on the 150k march being up for travel to Birmingham for some "brown-skin" bashing business.

Yep, that was one of my first thoughts. The game will be a dickhead magnet even without the Maccabi fans.

Celtics ultras wandering around town and being allowed to sing pro IRA shit last year proves how clueless West Midlands finest can be.

Was surprised (well, only mildly) when I went to Belfast in the summer - was on a bus down the falls road with a load of youths, they started singing “ooh ahh up the ‘ra” which … well, I’d assumed at least over there that they’d not be so keen on that kind of stuff these days. Not in terms of any wide support anyway.

It morphed in to “ooh ahh Paul McGrath” after a couple of minutes, which I thought was funny.

[astonvilla82]

Unfortunately the far right will jump on any situation that promotes thier cause and if them or Maccabia fans wish to intimidate the locals I hope they are given the warm welcome I would give them

[TonyD]

They should be banned before our game. But I wouldn’t count on it. 
If it doesn’t happen we should refuse to play the game and forfeit the game and the points.
Looking at the fixtures we should still qualify.
It would make massive news and add to the isolation and pressure to stop the killings.
Be the better club.

[not3bad]

I feel if Villa did cancel this tie from their end it's something we could look back on with pride. But they may not have to, it's a situation that is developing as we speak.

[TonyD]

I feel if Villa did cancel this tie from their end it's something we could look back on with pride. But they may not have to, it's a situation that is developing as we speak.

Absolutely.
No way our VP should play host to this team.
Why would you want to go down and watch us play this team?

[AGRIPPA]

Thanks Olaf for articulating this better than anyone else, although I'm pleasantly surprised that locals support Villa.

I live and work local to Villa Park and can confirm that more and more of the community are becoming attached to their local club which is great. In my local corner shop recently I witnessed some good natured banter with some lads ribbing the shopkeeper because he's a Man United "supporter" who's never been to a game.
Onto the match against Maccabi. I'm confident that our right wing element will stay well out of it. The police will have to be very stringent with enforcing a ring of steel around the ground and escorting them to and from the ground.
If Maccabi fans are allowed to travel in from Israel I'd avoid town like the plague as there will quite literally be fireworks. Celtics ultras wandering around town and being allowed to sing pro IRA shit last year proves how clueless West Midlands finest can be.

Sound advice….just don’t engage with idiots…

[SoccerHQ]

There has been more stories about certain teams and associations potentially asking for a vote, hence it hitting legitimate news sites.

I think the issue is Norway playing Israel in the next international break. Feel like Norway are putting it out there they will refuse to play the fixture (they were one of the more vocal nations about the Qatar World Cup although they didn't qualify for that) so UEFA can't just accept that and then let the club side just get on with playing in the Europa league.

Ideally they'd have made the decision before the actual tournament started as not sure what would happen, fixtures get cancelled and we and the other opponents for Tel Aviv are awarded three points? So that would disrupt the league table if we just look at it from sporting POV.

[paul_e]

There has been more stories about certain teams and associations potentially asking for a vote, hence it hitting legitimate news sites.

I think the issue is Norway playing Israel in the next international break. Feel like Norway are putting it out there they will refuse to play the fixture (they were one of the more vocal nations about the Qatar World Cup although they didn't qualify for that) so UEFA can't just accept that and then let the club side just get on with playing in the Europa league.

Ideally they'd have made the decision before the actual tournament started as not sure what would happen, fixtures get cancelled and we and the other opponents for Tel Aviv are awarded three points? So that would disrupt the league table if we just look at it from sporting POV.

Ideally yes but UN reports don't line up with football seasons and it was the one published in mid-September that called this a genocide that really pushed this topic into serious consideration.

[Somniloquism]

There has been more stories about certain teams and associations potentially asking for a vote, hence it hitting legitimate news sites.

I think the issue is Norway playing Israel in the next international break. Feel like Norway are putting it out there they will refuse to play the fixture (they were one of the more vocal nations about the Qatar World Cup although they didn't qualify for that) so UEFA can't just accept that and then let the club side just get on with playing in the Europa league.

Ideally they'd have made the decision before the actual tournament started as not sure what would happen, fixtures get cancelled and we and the other opponents for Tel Aviv are awarded three points? So that would disrupt the league table if we just look at it from sporting POV.

It is mentioned on the Europa tab. Anyone who has played them gets to keep their points. Anyone who is still to play them gets the average points earned between teams from their pot against teams from current pot in the corresponding fixtures. So if they kicked them out next week, we would be looking at the average result between pot1 home teams and pot 2 away teams. (currently 3 points but will only drop and potenmtially produces strange fraction of points unless they round up/down). If we play them, win and then they get kicked out, we get the points earned on the night.

Also I think Greece and Spain (plus Turkey) have brought up Israel's football teams since the Sept report.

[Jon Crofts]

They won't get banned by UEFA, that ship sailed the moment they kicked off against PAOK.

[Somniloquism]

They won't get banned by UEFA, that ship sailed the moment they kicked off against PAOK.

Not neccesarily. UEFA/FIFA kicked Russian teams out in the middle of a tournament. Granted they did the bad things the month before rather then several years before. However I suspect UEFA/FIFA hope the ceasefire process will get them out of not making a decision but more Associations are coming out against them playing now, which was exactly the thing that caused FIFA/UEFA to act previously.

[lovejoy]

I don't know what has changed since the draw was made that would mean they should be kicked out now and not before. if anything the situation might be improving 9relatively). Either way if they are stopped from playing we lose money but take the 3 points through non fulfillment of the fixture (if it up to me).