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

[Ads]

You always wanted this game played regardless of the risk to others.

I think "Villa should definitely play the match that they are scheduled to play" would likely be a majority one amongst Villa supporters.

I'm not joining Ads on his barricades for many things, but this doesn't feel all that controversial.

You'll do it more often wen you realise I've brought snacks.

[brontebilly]

I see Tommy two Names is going to be in attendance.

Somewhat ironically he travels on an Irish passport! Plenty who have recently starting waving Israeli flags at Windsor Park in Belfast also do.

Robinson's mother Irish, Dubliner I think?

Yeah I'm assuming a blood relation somewhere with whatever his real name is. It's the same as Ian Paisley and loads of them, so proud of being British (and white), Brexit4eva etc but passport control over the summer can be a nightmare in Palma or Larnaca....

[Legion]

I am firmly behind Dave's last paragraph in his latest WiC&B article.

[Pat McMahon]

With teams in general. If they had a full away allocation there would almost certainly be some British based fans in the away end. Same as at plenty European games over here. And as happens in other countries as well.

Lots of European teams have golbal followings, yes, and have plenty of British-based fans for multiple reasons. I don't think Maccabi Tel Aviv are one of those teams.

My initial reaction was that I've never met a UK-based MTA supporter, but then I remembered a conversation on the train with a couple of guys from London of Turkish heritage the evening we played Trabzonspor.  They were Arsenal fans but were supporting their Turkish team.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar for many clubs from a country with a wide diaspora.

This echoes my recollection of Fenerbahce at home in 1978. They had a good few hundred fans in the Witton Lane seats and made a good racket. We walked alongside a number of them towards Witton Island and some Villa fans asked to swap scarves with them. They were politely refused as they all had London accents and we weren’t remotely exotic to them.

[pauliewalnuts]

With teams in general. If they had a full away allocation there would almost certainly be some British based fans in the away end. Same as at plenty European games over here. And as happens in other countries as well.

Lots of European teams have golbal followings, yes, and have plenty of British-based fans for multiple reasons. I don't think Maccabi Tel Aviv are one of those teams.

My initial reaction was that I've never met a UK-based MTA supporter, but then I remembered a conversation on the train with a couple of guys from London of Turkish heritage the evening we played Trabzonspor.  They were Arsenal fans but were supporting their Turkish team.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar for many clubs from a country with a wide diaspora.

This echoes my recollection of Fenerbahce at home in 1978. They had a good few hundred fans in the Witton Lane seats and made a good racket. We walked alongside a number of them towards Witton Island and some Villa fans asked to swap scarves with them. They were politely refused as they all had London accents and we weren’t remotely exotic to them.

Also British Italians at the Juventus game in 1983.

[dave.woodhall]

Spanish Cockneys v Deportivo.

[tomd2103]

I wonder if this is something we've agreed on with them, club to club, given that it's a bit of a shit show all-round.

I wonder if that agreement was made in a bit higher circles?  Unfortunately I don't think it is the end of it tbh, as I suspect attention could now switch  from their fans to the MTA players and officials. 

[dcdavecollett]

Has Keir Stalin condemned the anti-semitic Israeli police for not allowing Israeli fans to go to the football match in Tel Aviv?

If he doesn't, he's a hypocrite; if he does he's criticised a body of the Israeli state which, according to his own playbook, is cast-iron evidence of his own anti-semitism.

If it's good enough for Corbyn, it's good enough for Starmer.

[ChicagoLion]

It looks like MTA are the grown ups saying they will refuse tickets for safety reasons.

[rob_bridge]

It looks like MTA are the grown ups saying they will refuse tickets for safety reasons.

They need to be given a lot of credit for that.

Let's be honest nobody in England was going to (be able to) make a better decision. Regardless of what that decision ended up as.

[Percy McCarthy]

It looks like MTA are the grown ups saying they will refuse tickets for safety reasons.

They need to be given a lot of credit for that.

Especially as not wishing to be associated with the toxic racist dwarf was the final straw for them, according to The Jewish News.

[eye digress]

That Ronay column was genuinely bizarre.

They mostly are, I find.

Liew nails it, however, as he frequently seems to do (he's the Preston pie man someone was referring to).

Just permit myself one short citation:

Choosing to stand with the far-right foreign football hooligan against the local police force: this, apparently, is what British patriotism looks like in 2025. Truly, we are through the looking-glass here.

[andyh]

Sense prevails.

Whether Tommy ten names and his mob still turn up remains to be seen

[Rigadon]

I’d say this is about the only sensible thing I’ve read on this https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/21/standing-with-maccabis-football-hooligans-against-local-police-is-that-what-patriotism-looks-like-now

[Somniloquism]

It looks like MTA are the grown ups saying they will refuse tickets for safety reasons.

They need to be given a lot of credit for that.

Especially as not wishing to be associated with the toxic racist dwarf was the final straw for them, according to The Jewish News.

MTA? As their government seem to love him.