Two men arrested over death of footballer Cody Fisher, 23, stabbed to death on dancefloor

28 December 2022, 09:41 | Updated: 28 December 2022, 11:36

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering 23-year-old Cody Fisher, who was stabbed to death at a nightclub in Birmingham on Boxing Day.

A 22-year-old was held at an address in Birmingham city centre just after midnight, while a second man aged 21 was arrested in London.

They will be questioned on suspicion of the murder of Mr Fisher, police said.

He was out celebrating with friends at The Crane in Digbeth when he was attacked shortly before midnight. 

Officers suspect the sports coach was approached by a group of people before being stabbed. 

He died in the early hours of December 27 despite attempts to save him and police have opened a murder investigation.

In a tribute, his family said: "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."

Read more: Murder probe launched after man stabbed to death at Birmingham nightclub on Boxing Day

Cody was a left back who played football for various non-league sides across Birmingham.

He played for Stratford Town and Stourbridge and in a photo released by police he was wearing a kit for Bromsgrove Sporting FC. 

The team said it was “deeply saddened” to hear of his death while Stratford Town said its thoughts were with his family and friends. 

Previously, he was in the Birmingham City FC Academy, and was a trainee at Walsall, reports say. 

He coached at Woodrow First School, which said in a statement: "Everyone is devastated today to hear of the tragic and needless death of this bright, friendly and talented young man. 

"Many of the children at school know Cody as their sports coach and have enjoyed working with him." 

Police have been looking over CCTV from the club and have asked anyone who was in the area to speak to them.

DCI Ian Ingram, from West Midlands Police's Homicide team, said: "We’re making good progress in our investigation and are building a better picture of what happened.

"We’ve been really pleased with the response from the public and have already had a number of witness accounts and images sent through, which will help with our investigation.

"It’s vital that we hear from everybody who saw any part of what happened that night – no matter how insignificant they think it might be.

"Cody’s family and friends are devastated by what happened, and we’ll continue to work to bring them answers."

Anyone with information can contact West Midlands Police using their online Live Chat function, quoting 3792 of 26 December, or submit photos, footage or information online. 

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.