Nottingham Forest have released a statement after a number of their supporters were caught up in the horrific train stabbing attack in Huntingdon on Saturday evening
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has vowed the club will guarantee their supporters caught up in the horrific Huntingdon train attack “receive whatever financial support” so they can have “the best possible medical care”.
The Premier League club has issued a statement praising fans who “demonstrated extraordinary bravery” following the knife attack that unfolded on a London-bound service on Saturday evening – with the team confirming that several of their supporters were travelling following their stalemate with Manchester United that afternoon.
Reports emerged on Saturday night that a service travelling from Doncaster to London Kings Cross had been targeted in a stabbing incident, which authorities confirm occurred in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Two individuals have been detained and are both British nationals with nothing currently indicating the assault was “terror-related”.
Marinakis declared: “Everyone at Nottingham Forest is shocked and deeply saddened by what happened. The courage and selflessness shown by our supporters on that train represents the very best of humanity and the very best of our club’s community.
“We will make sure any supporter caught up in this incident receives whatever financial support they require to enable them to access the best possible medical care as they recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.”
Joe, a 24-year-old from south-east London who was returning from the Forest-United match, described the scenes as “like something out of a movie”. Speaking to the BBC, he said: “I was texting my friends about my plans for that night and then people came rushing through from the carriage, running through, saying, ‘You need to run, you need to run’.”
A club statement read: “Nottingham Forest Football Club wishes to express its deepest concern and heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by the shocking attack on an LNER train bound for London yesterday evening.
“Many of our London-based supporters were travelling home on that train following our match at the City Ground, and our thoughts are very much with everyone caught up in such a distressing incident.
“The Club is aware that many individuals demonstrated extraordinary bravery which undoubtedly helped prevent even greater harm. The entire Nottingham Forest family stands firmly behind them as they recover from the events of yesterday.”
Last night, nine people were rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries immediately following the incident. Four of them have since been discharged.
The incident took place on the 6.25pm service from Doncaster to London, with some passengers reporting that the attack began shortly after the train departed from Peterborough.