“Shall we sing a song for you?” the Aston Villa supporters chanted to the empty away section in the early stages of their 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
It was a brief moment of light-hearted fun on an otherwise emotionally charged and politically fraught night. When Villa began their resurgence under Unai Emery three years ago, they were dreaming of high-profile European nights that would put them in the spotlight, but certainly not for these reasons.
The fact that there were no travelling fans inside Villa Park had nothing to do with the actual football. The arrival of the world’s media was not in preparation for Donyell Malen’s penalty or Victor Lindelof at right-back either.
This was a night that generated interest because of everything that was happening outside of the stadium. A night when Aston Villa’s famous name was dragged into a dispute far from their own making. A night some staff described as the most difficult of their career, and one that created unnecessary discomfort for supporters.
Police arriving at Villa Park ahead of the game with Maccabi Tel Aviv (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Although the police, made up of 700 officers from 26 units across the country, restricted the trouble on an evening of 11 arrests, there was a short but ugly flashpoint.
For one woman, it all became too much as she burst into tears after getting caught in the middle of a nationalist group chanting for the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and the hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors who played loud music and used a megaphone to spread their messages about Gaza and banning Israel’s football teams from UEFA competitions.
Another elderly man using a walking aid was visibly distressed as his preferred exit route was blocked after the game as part of heightened security measures, while other Villa supporters questioned the policing tactics and had to be calmed down by officers, stewards and other spectators.
Match-goers can accept and understand the occasional change to their routine, or a degree of confrontation with opposition supporters, but getting dragged into international geopolitics, when all many want to do is switch off and support their team, was clearly frustrating for some.
Perhaps the saddest part was that so many parents felt it was sensible to leave their children at home, while some supporters decided not to turn up at all. The attendance was just 29,429 and far from the atmosphere associated with Villa Park on a big European night.
Yet the result ensured most left satisfied and, despite the increased traffic, huge police presence and extra security checks, many supporters sitting in the North Stand and Doug Ellis Stand were able to get in and out without any trouble.
Only those who made their way down Trinity Road, close to where the pro-Palestine protest was taking place, faced issues, including a short period when it was difficult to head towards the Holte End as the police were in the process of separating rival groups and defusing an exchange that almost boiled over.
Fortunately, the emergence of both teams onto the pitch switched the focus, although in one of the more bizarre moments of the night, the game was also briefly delayed, not by what was happening outside, but because the smoke from fireworks set off inside the stadium had failed to clear in time.
It felt like normality was resumed just a few minutes into the game when the chants of “shall we sing a song for you?” from inside quickly softened the mood.
More than anything, it was a reminder that an actual game was taking place and that for those who had turned up, they could finally enjoy it. “It’s all gone quiet over there,” raised a few additional giggles as the UEFA mascots sat in the empty away end, admiring the view.
Inevitably, without any away supporters, there was little to motivate the reduced home crowd. Ian Maatsen’s opener on the stroke of half-time was barely celebrated.
Given Villa were clear favourites to win the game, there was a level of expectancy that Emery touched upon after the game. He had challenged his team to get back on track after losing to Go Ahead Eagles last month, and they stepped up, albeit without hitting top gear.
Maccabi missed a couple of early chances and goalkeeper Emi Martinez made two decent second-half saves, but apart from that, it was controlled. And maybe Villa have finally found a reliable spot-kick taker in Malen after troubles with penalties in the past.
Donyell Malen scoring a penalty against Maccabi Tel Aviv (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
It was also uplifting to see Youri Tielemans back in the team after a period out with injury. He played a brilliant pass immediately after his second-half introduction to remind those watching of his qualities as the win moved Villa up to sixth in the Europa League table and back into control of their own destiny, with a top-eight finish now very much in sight.
With games against Young Boys, Basel, Fenerbahce and Red Bull Salzburg to come, there will likely be tougher tests along the way. There will not, though, be the backdrop of the kind of outside noise that led up to this fixture, and that will be a relief to those who encountered issues on a night that was broadcast all around the world for reasons out of the club’s control.
