A non league chairman stands in the local elections after seeing his club’s player sadly stabbed to death at a nightclub last year.
Stratford Town’s owner Jed McCrory ran in the local elections last week with a mission to reduce knife crime, after Cody Fisher, their defender lost his life.
McCrory, who previously ran Swindon Town and Worcester Warriors, stepped in and helped save his local Stratford Town, who had been six weeks from going into administration in 2019.
Since then, he has transformed the Southern League Premier Central outfit, but the club suffered tragedy on Boxing Day when 23-year-old defender Fisher died outside a Birmingham nightclub.
The full-back Fisher had worked locally at St Gregory’s School, where he had been a coach to McCrory’s son Max.
Non-League football chairman, Jed McCrory, is standing as a Tory candidate in the local elections a player was stabbed to death
Stratford Town defender Cody Fisher was stabbed to death on Boxing Day outside a nightclub in Birmingham https://t.co/fn72ONz4JO
— Socialist Voice (@SocialistVoice) May 4, 2023
Jed McCrory, who ran in Studley South for Stratford-on-Avon District Council on Thursday, was stunned by the death of Fisher and now wants to fight crime and antisocial behaviour in the ward Fisher and his mother Tracey lived.
He explained, as per the Mirror: “I am standing to do the right thing by Cody and fight knife crime and ASBO issues like drugs and rape crime. It upsets me that the retired and older generation are becoming scared of walking down the street due to young hoodies and drug issues.
“I am also determined we help keep young people safe. I got fed up like many people of hearing councillors are going to do this or that and then they don’t do enough. I’ve decided to try and do something about it myself.
“Hopefully it is going to give Cody’s family comfort. I was waking up in the night thinking: ‘I’ve got to do something’.
“I am new to politics but there are similarities with football – not everyone likes the same right-back or left-back and you need to get results.”
Jed McCrory, the chairman of Stratford Town Football Club, said the ‘players are heartbroken’ about their teammate’s death.
Cody Fisher was stabbed on the dancefloor of a club in Birmingham on Boxing Day and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more: https://t.co/99MXMmFgKH pic.twitter.com/HDXXXrpg6R
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 28, 2022
McCrory is supportive of ‘Cody’s Law’, which advocates for metal detectors and bleeding kits to be made law in clubs and at events.
McCrory also wants minimum prison sentences for those who carry a knife.
Stratford Town has an academy that supports children through sports and education, hosts a Dementia Cafe and also sees Escape Arts, veteran’s events, bingo, and a veterans’ event.
If elected, his new plans include reopening an old Studley youth centre to give young people more things to do.
He decided to run for the Conservatives whose local MP, Nadhim Zahawi, is the Conservative candidate.
McCrory also said that he learned a great deal from developing the academy in Stratford Town.
He sent a questionnaire to locals asking for feedback, added: “I have learned a lot through developing the academy at Stratford Town. I understand the needs of young people in Studley. Providing sport facilities whilst focusing on education is so important.”
The death of Cody has brought back memories of 26 years ago, when Darrel Aebi, one of McCrory’s closest friends was stabbed in a Luton pub.
McCrory recalled: “He died in my hands. I was holding one of his hands and using my other to try to stop his chest bleeding.
“I just begged him not to go. I never got over it. It traumatised me.
“Cody’s death has brought back horrific memories. That was what was keeping me awake recently.”
Knife crime is any crime that involves a knife or sharp instrument. Offences with a knife can include threatening people, a robbery or burglary, a murder or assault. Simply carrying a knife – even if you haven’t used it – is also considered a crime.
HELPLINES
Knife Crimes.Org
Home Office approved site offering information, advice, support and safety resources.
Support After Murder and Manslaughter
Helpline: 0845 872 3440
SAMM offers understanding, support and a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on and by being a safety net in times of severe emotional crisis.
CRIMESTOPPERS
If you information about a crime call anonymously on 0800 555 111 or fill in an online form
Victim Support
Victim Supportline: 08 08 16 89 111
The national charity which helps people affected by crime. They provide free and confidential support to help you deal with your experience, whether or not you report the crime.
You & Co
Victim Support’s Youth Programme. You & Co will work with you from the moment you experience or witness a crime, until when you and your worker feel that you no longer need our support. Feel safer and be safer. Reduce the risks of you becoming a victim again by helping you and adults around you to make your surroundings safer. Make safer choices. We help you move on from your experiences in a positive way.
Your Choice Your Future
Your Choice Your Future isn’t about telling people what to do. It’s not about telling people what is right or wrong. It’s about talking with people to look at the consequences of the choices they make and then providing information to help them make their choice about their future.
ChildLine
Helpline: 0800 11 11
ChildLine is a counselling service for children and young people. You can contact ChildLine in these ways: You can phone on 0800 1111, send us an email, have a 1-2-1 chat with us, send a message to Ask Sam and you can post messages to the ChildLine message boards. You can contact ChildLine about anything – no problem is too big or too small. If you are feeling scared or out of control or just want to talk to someone you can contact ChildLine.
The Ben Kinsella Trust
The Trust exists o promote knife-crime awareness – many people believe that knife crime is not their problem and will never affect them. Sadly this is being proven wrong more and more and we want to ensure that everyone knows the threat this problem poses to our lives. To educate children of all ages of the consequences of knife crime and what it can do to a family – by ensuring children as young as primary school age know the difference between right and wrong and will never consider picking up a weapon, be it through peer pressure, fear or simply believing it is cool, we aim to send the message to kids today that carrying a knife is not acceptable. Above all, Ben’s family urge anyone who carries a knife or weapon to lay it down and think about the pain and suffering they may cause.
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