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

[PeterWithesShin]

Like all threads once it stops being relevant, which will be very soon, it will drop down the pages. As it's the next day it's still relevant.

[Dave]

That's quite a difficult one. I would have read it as specifically meaning 'Zionists' as opposed to Israelis or Jews in general

A Zionist is someone who supports the existence of a Jewish state, i.e Israel.

While I expect that there may well be some who aren't, most Israelis are inevitably going to be in favour of their country existing.

[Chris Harte]

Just glad it all passed off relatively peacefully in the end.

Three points to the Villa, and back to normal on Sunday for the visit of Bournemouth.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Not easy to get the policing right, but what we and a few others experienced was ridiculous.

We don't leave early, though last night made an exception as my lad was catching a train back to London, so we went on about 84 minutes. I was parked on Upper Sutton St, by Aston Tower Primary School, meaning our route was past Aston Hall through Aston Park and on a bit.

On Trinity Road a line of coppers was stopping people heading up to Aston Hall because, "There might be some protesters in the park, it's not safe". They were sending people in the direction of the Holte Pub, Aston Tavern etc.. Heading that way would give us no chance of being able to get to the car, so we tried to get through the police line a few more times, further down Trinity Road.

When I said it was the only (sensible) route to get to our car and if they were adament we shouldn't head to Aston Hall/Aston Park they should offer an alternative, one particularly chirpy copper (a Sargeant from up North) said he had no idea as he wasn't local, it wasn't his problem, and I had no clue because "I was no expert on policing".

At which point I suggested that if there was a potential threat in the park, it might be an idea for them to do something about it, rather than standing on Trinity Road. Then, a female officer said that if we decided to walk through the park, they wouldn't actually stop us.

So, they thought there was a risk; they weren't actually going to do anything about it; and they were happy for us to walk into whatever we might find. Less than useless - particularly as you would have thought they had two hours to disperse any protesters or at least know where they were, during the game.

It was no surprise that there was no ambush waiting for us! By the lights on Upper Sutton St a couple of people were carrying a Palestinian flag but they were no issue and anyway that was not in the park.

I can only assume they relented when the game finished as there are hundreds if not thousands that head past Aston Hall. UTV

[Hookeysmith]

I do not  know much about the Macabbi team but at least 2 were said to be Muslim and one of them prayed when they did thier pitch walk.
Police were excellent and the fans inside the ground were very responsible and the only booing was for time wasting.

I could only see the Free Palestine group from Trinity Road side and some of the youths I doubt could spell Palestine never mind point to it on a map.

Well at least the media frenzy will move onto the next big potential blow up.

[itbrvilla]

One of the arrest was due to someone trying to fire fireworks into the stadium

[Pete3206]

The media and 'citizen journalists' were desperate for it all to kick off. Even this morning, their footage tried to frame everything as 'chaos' and 'carnage'. How about trying to give Plod a bit of credit for once?

[PeterWithesShin]

One twat fired a firework into the crowd that were in the area by the statue.

[DB]

The media and 'citizen journalists' were desperate for it all to kick off. Even this morning, their footage tried to frame everything as 'chaos' and 'carnage'. How about trying to give Plod a bit of credit for once?

Yep, and some reports of Villa fans singing for Yaxley-Lennon, when it was a small group who were obvs far-right who turned up.

[PeterWithesShin]

Certainly went full role play as some singing it were in Villa colours as well as previous reports of some spanners singing it at previous games.

[amfy]

That's quite a difficult one. I would have read it as specifically meaning 'Zionists' as opposed to Israelis or Jews in general

A Zionist is someone who supports the existence of a Jewish state, i.e Israel.

While I expect that there may well be some who aren't, most Israelis are inevitably going to be in favour of their country existing.

There are lots of people in lots of places that are quite apolitical and just existing where they were born though. I think of Zionism as being something a bit more active, but that might just be my own unique interpretation!!

[Hookeysmith]

The media and 'citizen journalists' were desperate for it all to kick off. Even this morning, their footage tried to frame everything as 'chaos' and 'carnage'. How about trying to give Plod a bit of credit for once?

Yep, and some reports of Villa fans singing for Yaxley-Lennon, when it was a small group who were obvs far-right who turned up.

Far Right - really?  Or just some morons that act like sheep around others?

I agree that both Villa and the Police were put into a very difficult and potentially harmful position by useless politicians who only see issues like this as currency and deserve a lot of respect on how they conducted themselves.

Its just a shame that, even though it was a crap game, that the media had made this to be a battle ground and that scared a lot of fans, especially with children, off attending.

If we seemingly cannot trust the BBC to not be biased what chance do we have with lesser media outfits and the "look at me" content creators on socials

[Sexual Ealing]

What qualifies as far-right if singing far-right songs doesn't count?

[DB]

The media and 'citizen journalists' were desperate for it all to kick off. Even this morning, their footage tried to frame everything as 'chaos' and 'carnage'. How about trying to give Plod a bit of credit for once?

Yep, and some reports of Villa fans singing for Yaxley-Lennon, when it was a small group who were obvs far-right who turned up.

Far Right - really?  Or just some morons that act like sheep around others?

I agree that both Villa and the Police were put into a very difficult and potentially harmful position by useless politicians who only see issues like this as currency and deserve a lot of respect on how they conducted themselves.

Its just a shame that, even though it was a crap game, that the media had made this to be a battle ground and that scared a lot of fans, especially with children, off attending.

If we seemingly cannot trust the BBC to not be biased what chance do we have with lesser media outfits and the "look at me" content creators on socials

This was after k.o. videos of some types and seemingly not interested in the footy.

[Louzie0]

Tousi TV first called it a Jew cage on his live stream and the saying stuck like that stuff you get from screwfix straight away with the other 'news' outlets

If he called an urban enclosed basketball court *that* and if he lives anywhere in or near north London, I don’t give much for his personal dignity on his return. They’re everywhere.