YOU’RE ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS
FAMILY, friends and teammates paid tribute to Cody Fisher ahead of Stratford Town’s match with Kings Langley.
The 23-year-old former Bards defender died following an incident in a Birmingham nightclub on Boxing Day and yesterday’s Southern League Premier Central game was the first opportunity for his club to pay their respects.
Children from a local school where Cody coached, formed a guard of honour for the players ahead of the game and then took his ‘retired’ 23 shirt from the pitch prior to a minute’s silence. Play was also paused on 23 minutes for a minute’s applause for the player who also had spells with Stourbridge and Bromsgrove Sporting.
Speaking before kickoff, teammate and close friend Dan Lafferty admitted it had been a tough time for everyone leading up to the game which was watched by nearly 1,000 supporters.
He said: “It has been an horrendous week and tough for all his family and friends but we have managed to get through it.
“We’ve been mates for a few years and went on numerous nights out together including a trip to Winter Wonderland a few weeks ago so I have some really good memories of him – not just as a teammate but as a friend. He was a really happy kid, someone who was always smiling and who always found the positives in stuff. He will be really missed, and a real fun person to be around. “He never really liked the attention so he’s probably looking down thinking ‘come on lads, get on with the game’. But he deserves all the praise and tributes because he was such a special person.” Stratford lost the game 2-1 but manager Gavin Hurren admitted the outcome was secondary. He said: “Today was all about Cody and showing our respects to one of our own. It was lovely to see so many children that he coached here along with his family and friends.
“It was an emotional game and I am immensely proud of the way the players conducted themselves because it was a really tough occasion and, while we go out to win every game, sometimes there is more to life than a game of football.
“We all wanted to play and we wanted to do it for Cody – it was what he would have wanted. It is disappointing that we came away with nothing but, at the end of the day, it was important to get the game on, not just for the club, but for everyone who loved and cared for him.”