Tributes have been paid to a “talented footballer” who was stabbed to death in a nightclub in Birmingham on Boxing Day.
West Midlands Police has confirmed that it has now launched a murder investigation and is appealing for information and witnesses after a man was stabbed to death on the dancefloor of The Crane nightclub in Birmingham on Boxing Day (26 December).
Officers were called to the nightclub on Adderley Street in the Digbeth area of Birmingham just before 11:45pm following reports that the 23-year-old man had been stabbed.
Despite efforts to save him, the man was pronounced dead around 30 minutes later.
The man has now been named as Cody Fisher.
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We’ve launched a murder investigation after a man was stabbed to death on the dancefloor of a Birmingham nightclub.
We were called to The Crane nightclub in Digbeth last night.
Mr Fisher played football for Stratford Town FC – who are in the Southern League Premier Division Central – and he had also played for Bromsgrove Sporting FC.
His family say they are “heartbroken” and have “lost [a] best friend” in a moving tribute paid to him, as shared by Birmingham Police, and added that they are “asking for privacy and respectfulness at this heartbreaking time”.
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Tributes from Mr Fisher’s current and former clubs have also been paid.
Stratford Town FC paid tribute on social media: “Everyone at Stratford Town is saddened to hear of the tragic loss of one of our own players. Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Cody and our thoughts are with you at this difficult time.”
The club’s chairman, Jed McCrory, also described Mr Fisher as a “talented footballer” and a “lovely, lovely young man”.
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Bromsgrove Sporting FC say they are also “deeply saddened”, and that “Cody was a friend to many at the club”.
#UPDATE | We can now name the young man who died as Cody Fisher.
His family said tonight: "They have broken our hearts; I have lost my best friend. My family and I are asking for privacy and respectfulness at this heart-breaking time." pic.twitter.com/xErz4SvBJ6
West Midlands Police say Mr Fisher’s family are being support by specialist officers.
With a murder investigation now having been launched, and detectives viewing CCTV from the nightclub, the force is urging anyone who was in the area at the time to get in touch with any information that may be able to help.
“This was a young man enjoying himself with friends on a Boxing Day night out and our thoughts are with his friends and family,” said Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood from West Midlands Police, who is leading the investigation.
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“We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time.
“While we’ve spoken to a number of them already, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who witnessed or even filmed what happened [as] we believe that the victim was approached by a group of people, and was then stabbed, so we’re working hard to identify all of those involved.”
The scene remains closed while officers gather evidence, and neighbourhood officers will be patrolling the area over the coming days to offer reassurance, West Midlands Police confirmed.
Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch via Live Chat on the West Midlands Police website, by quoting log 3792 of 26 December, or alternatively, they can submit information, pictures, or video to the dedicated major incident portal here.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – West Midlands Police
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You can step inside a fashion show with Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ has arrived Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
Vogue: Inventing the Runway incorporates interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
Visitors will be surrounded by incredible visuals on all sides (including underfoot), fully stepping inside the world of high fashion.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
A glimpse inside Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Credit: The Manc Group
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas expected before the big day
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being told to prepare for long queues, as a record number of festive trips are predicted across the UK ahead of the big day.
With the festive season generally known to make the roads nationwide busier than usual, travel warnings have now been issued to all those making Christmas getaway trips for the holidays – with an annual study by the RAC and INRIX suggesting that 37.5 million journeys are planned before Christmas Day arrives.
With Christmas falling mid-week again this year, the figures are suggesting that drivers are keen to set off early to avoid what will be an undoubtedly frantic coming weekend on the roads.
Around 18% of getaway journeys are expected to be made today and tomorrow (Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December, respectively).
But, the RAC expects the main wave of festive journeys to start this Friday (19 December) with a whopping 3.6 million trips planned, before this escalates even further to 4.1 million on Saturday (20 December).
A record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas are expected before the big day/ Credit: Highways Agency (via Unsplash)
The figures predict this will be the busiest Saturday of any Christmas getaway period since its records began in 2013.
Approximately 3.5m journeys are then expected on Sunday (21 December), while a further 5.3 million trips are set to take place at some point between 19 and 21 December, although drivers haven’t decided what day they’ll travel yet.
According to the RAC’s research, there will then be a slight lull in festive trips at the start of Christmas week – with Monday and Tuesday being normal working days for many people – however, volumes of traffic could be at their highest since COVID on Christmas Eve when 4.2 million getaways are expected, making it the single busiest day for getaways over the period.
When it comes to the best and worst times to travel over the festive period, the research has revealed that the times to avoid when travelling along major routes will be from 4:30pm onwards, with queues of more than half an hour expected in Manchester on the M60 clockwise from J7 Altrincham to J18 for the M62 for Leeds.
On the two busiest days over the getaway period – this coming Saturday (20 December) and Christmas Eve – the RAC and INRIX are advising drivers to expect lengthy delays on major roads between 11am and 7pm, as this is when most journeys will be made.
After the big day, drivers are expecting to make 4.6 million journeys on Boxing Day and 4.1 million on Saturday 27 December, as they travel home or continue their celebrations elsewhere.
Emily Sergeant -
28th December 2022 
