A Birmingham MP has joked “up the Villa” as he celebrated Israeli football fans being banned from a European fixture at an English Premier League club. Ayoub Khan, 52, who represents the Perry Barr area of Birmingham, said he has been “consistent” in his view that Israeli clubs “full stop” should be banned from taking part in all international sport.

The MP, who was elected on a pro-Palestine platform at the 2024 General Election, had started a petition against Aston Villa playing the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League in November. On Thursday night, he welcomed a ruling that banned fans from the Jewish State’s team from attending the fixture after a Safety Advisory Board (SAB), including representatives from West Midlands Police and local council leaders, deemed it “high risk”.

On the same night, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the ban, writing that it was “the wrong decision”, adding: “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the move a “national disgrace”, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said it took “racial discrimination to a whole new level”.

No 10 is now understood to be seeking to overturn the Birmingham SAB ruling, with discussions happening “at pace, across Government”.

But speaking to the Daily Express outside Aston Villa’s ground, Villa Park, today (Friday), Mr Khan stood by the ban and compared Israeli sports teams to those that have been banned from Russia because of the Ukraine invasion. “My position has been very consistent, I’ve said that I’m asking for the boycotting of the Maccabi football team full stop,” he said.

“That’s based on my consistent moral stance that if we can ban Russian football teams, or any athletes from participating in sport because it sends out the wrong message… and we’ve all supported that decision because of the atrocious events taking place in Ukraine, then we need to be consistent and apply the same measure to Israeli football teams.

“Let’s not forget 800 athletes were murdered in Gaza, 350 of them footballers, athletes should be standing in solidarity with those that have been massacred and murdered.”

Mr Khan referenced former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona, who said last month, “clubs everywhere must refuse to play Israeli teams”. Mr Cantona made his comments before the peace deal had been signed. The MP also pointed to a number of nations saying they would boycott the Eurovision song contest if Israel participated.

Mr Khan added: “Any Israeli team should be prevented from participating in international sport. It’s that moral stance, and I stand by it.”

When asked if the problem was to do with the demographics of area in which Aston Villa FC is situated, the 52-year-old replied: “If the Safety Advisory Board, based on information they have, not a light decision, not a decision made overnight, it’s months of working on this, if they have made that decision that this is a ‘high-risk’ event… whether that’s in relation to the city, the demographics, they’ve made that decision.

“We must, as Parliamentarians, as politicians, be responsible, not engage and try to seek a decision to be overturned; we should be standing firm with that decision.

“They are independent experts, and we should respect that. What we shouldn’t do is tread over that line and walk into operational matters, and the fact that we are now hearing Simon Foster, the Police, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, is inviting for a review, I think, is very dangerous.”

Asked if he would support the match taking place elsewhere in the UK, Mr Khan reiterated his position that he believed Maccabi should be banned from the competition; however, he joked: “Of course, we want three points, up the Villa.”

Aston Villa supporter, David, 51, told the Daily Express he did not support the ban. He said: “We are a friendly people in Birmingham, we shouldn’t have any hostilities against anyone really.

“I think it’s because we are playing an Israeli team. I don’t understand the ban; it’s a game of football, so the fans should be able to come over.”

David added that he believed West Midlands Police should “definitely’ provide safety for the Israeli fans, he said: “It’s football, isn’t it? Aston Villa fans can sometimes be a little bit rowdy, but apart from that, I think they (Maccabi Tel Aviv and their fans) should be able to come over.”

Lifelong Villa fans, father and son Stephen and Carl Pidgeon, said they had heard the reason for the ban was that the authorities were worried about protests outside the ground. Stephen Pidgeon, 67, said he understood the risk was there and perhaps the ban should be in place. He joked he might take the risk if it was for Aston Villa’s rivals, Birmingham City, known as ‘The Blues’.

Mr Pidgeon, who was born in Aston, said: “It might be all right if it were a Blues game. You can look at it in the way it looks like not welcoming Jewish people to Birmingham. But I do think it is a safety decision.”

Carl Pidgeon added that he thought if the Maccabi fans were banned, then no fans should be allowed to watch the match under similar conditions to those during the COVID pandemic.

Authorities in Birmingham are facing mounting pressure to overturn the ban. However, ministers face fresh questions after the UK Football Policing Unit said the Home Office was briefed “last week” that “restrictions on visiting fans” could be among the measures taken to police the November 6 fixture at Villa Park.

Senior officers at the unit backed the ban, saying it was “important that we respect and support the structures in place for making these decisions”.

It is understood that the Home Office was briefed that a ban was being considered, but no decision had been taken, and the Home Secretary was not informed of the final decision until it was made public on Thursday night.

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the revelation left the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, with “serious questions to answer” about why her department did “nothing” to avert the ban. Mrs Badenoch said: “This is a weak Government that fails to act when required.”

Birmingham City Council said the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending a Europa League match at Aston Villa in November would not be reviewed unless there was a change in the risk assessment provided by West Midlands Police.

A council spokesperson said: “The Safety Advisory Group has made a decision based on a risk assessment provided by West Midlands Police.

“If there is a change in the assessment of risk in the forthcoming match between Aston Villa Football Club and Maccabi Tel Aviv, then the Safety Advisory Group will commit to review its decision as appropriate.”