Stratford Town owner Jed McCrory is standing in local elections this week on a mission to help reduce knife crime after their defender Cody Fisher was stabbed to death.
McCrory used to run Swindon Town and Worcester Warriors previously. He then stepped in to aid his stricken local football club Stratford when the Bards were just six weeks away from administration in 2019.
He has since transformed the part-time Southern League Premier Central side, in the town where William Shakespeare was from. But they were plunged into tragedy when defender Fisher, 23, died on Boxing Day outside a nightclub in Birmingham. The full-back worked at St Gregory’s school locally, where among the kids he coached was McCrory’s six year old son Max.
Fisher’s devastating death stunned the local community and McCrory is standing in the local elections in Studley South to be elected to Stratford-on-Avon District Council Thursday. It is the ward where Fisher lived with his mum Tracey and McCrory is determined to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
He explained: “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.”
McCrory is supporting ‘Cody’s Law’ which campaigns to make metal detectors and bleed kits law for clubs and events. He is also pushing for minimum prison sentences for carrying a knife.
In the meantime he is still continuing his work at Stratford Town which includes an academy to support youngsters through sport and education where he lives locally with Lisa, his wife of 15 years. The club also run a Dementia Cafe, host Escape Arts, veterans' events and bingo for the community.
His new plans, if elected, include re-opening the old Studley Youth Centre to give youngsters more to do after deciding to stand for the Conservatives, whose local MP is Nadhim Zahawi.
McCrory, who has 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.”
Fisher’s death is the second knife crime tragedy McCrory has been caught up in. It triggered painful memories from 26 years ago when one of his closest friends Darrel Aebi was stabbed to death at a pub in Luton.
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.”
