Mother of stabbed footballer fights venue licence

Cody Fisher was stabbed to death on the dance floor of the Crane nightclub

The mother of footballer Cody Fisher, who was stabbed to death on a nightclub dance floor, has criticised a bid for a new licence at the venue.

Tracey Fisher felt as though her own life ended after her 23-year-old son's life was taken "incredibly cruelly" at the Crane nightclub in Birmingham on Boxing Day 2022, her lawyer told a licensing sub-committee on Wednesday.

West Midlands Police have also objected to the licensing application for the premises in Adderley Street, Digbeth, now named Kanvas.

A lawyer for applicant Matthew Boulter told the meeting there would be a team in place that's "well thought-out, resourced and independent of the previous ownership".

Callum Trevers, representing Ms Fisher, said her son's life "was taken incredibly cruelly when he was only 23 years of age".

He said. "Since that day, our client feels her own life has ended, as though she was stabbed through her heart on that fateful night.

"Her youngest son and her best friend has never come home."

Mr Fisher, former Birmingham City FC academy, Bromsgrove Sporting and Stratford Town footballer, was stabbed in the chest and leg.

Remy Gordon, 23, and Kami Carpenter, 22, were convicted and jailed for murder last year. Two women are still facing trial for assisting an offender.

After Mr Fisher died, the club's licence was suspended and later revoked.

West Midlands Police made a series of objections and Gary Grant, barrister for the force, said: "There are few licensing applications as sensitive as the one before you today."

Police previously said they believed the new application was linked to the previous owners and "not a completely new" operator.

The force also said an appeal by Digital Arts Media Ltd against the previous decision to revoke the licence was still not resolved.

The application, submitted in the name of Kanvas Birmingham Ltd, lists Matthew Boulter as its sole director.

Paddy Whur, for the applicant, said: "If you granted this licence, there wouldn't be a more robust conditioned licence in Birmingham."

He said: "We now have a very different company – none of the previous people involved in the management of the premises will be involved."

Mr Boulter, speaking at the meeting, said: "There's a lot of history with the premises, which is going to be bad for a lot of people – I understand that. I really feel for the victims."

He said he aimed to run it "as safely as possible".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.