Ban will keep fans and locals safe, Villa supporters tell the BBCpublished at 14:33 BST
14:33 BST
Navtej Johal
Midlands correspondent
Image caption,
David Moss says he doesn’t want Villa or Tel Aviv fans to get injured
The Villa fans we’ve spoken to outside the stadium today all agree – safety and security for local fans and their families is the most important thing, and the decision to ban travelling fans is the right one.
“We have enough trouble when Walsall play,” season ticket holder Lee Goodman, 51, tells me. “I’m sure it’s the correct decision, it’s just a shame for the genuine fans.”
Marshall Spires, 32, says it’s “hard to not have politics get involved”.
“If [the safety decision] means Villa fans can come down the ground and it’s safe, then that’s all that matters to me.”
David Moss, 51, says: “My view is that if it’s going to cause friction, trouble, I would say they shouldn’t really be travelling, because I don’t want anyone on the Villa side or Tel Aviv side to get injured.
“It’s the right decision for security and for players and fans. [But] it’s a shame, people want to come and watch their team play in Europe.”
Image caption,
Lee Goodman says the ban is the “correct decision” – but it’s “a shame for the genuine fans”