Nottingham Forest have donated £10,000 to a supporter who took on the Huntingdon train attacker and was stabbed seven times.
Stephen Crean, 61, was named as one of the victims of the knife rampage, alongside Scunthorpe United defender Jonathan Gjoshe and rail worker Samir Zitouni.
Anthony Williams, 32, was on Monday charged with 11 counts of attempted murder – ten from the alleged attack on an LNER train on Saturday evening, and one from just hours earlier in London.
Crean said this week that he had tried to protect other passengers – armed with nothing but his fists – because ‘it did not dawn on me not to’.
He added that the attacker had shouted ‘Do you want to die?’ as he stabbed him seven times.
A group of Forest fans set up a JustGiving to raise money to support Crean recover from his injuries.
‘Steve confronted the attacker and sustained serious knife wounds to the head, back and his hands. It is likely his selfless actions saved lives,’ the page reads.
‘Our thoughts are with Steve and his family, and everyone else involved in this incident.
Steve has been a regular fixture at Forest home and away games for many years, making the long journey up from London, and is well known amongst our fanbase.
A £10,000 donation was made on Wednesday from Nottingham Forest, taking the fundraising total to over £46,000.
The sum has vastly exceeded the initial £500 target.
The donation followed a pledge by the Premier League club and its owner Evangelos Marinakis to support fans who were injured in stabbings on Saturday.
Several of its London-based supporters had been on the train, as they travelled home from their 2-2 draw against Manchester United.
Nottingham Forest said it was aware of ‘extraordinary bravery’ from individuals, with Marinakis praising ‘courage and selflessness’ shown by their supporters.
According to talkSPORT reporter Max Scott, Nottingham Forest have also offered Crean a complimentary season ticket for next season, as well as inviting him to flying with the squad to a Europa League match, stay in the team hotel and watch the match with the club’s delegation in the director’s box.
Recalling the attack, Crean said he heard the screams of injured passengers and walked through the buffet car to a carriage where he came face to face with the attacker.
Mr Crean recalled: ‘He had a great big oversized kitchen knife – it was as if it was a Japanese sword or something. He came towards me and said to me, “Do you want to die?”‘
He said he confronted the attacker to give another passenger time to close the buffet door behind him – allowing others to hide and potentially preventing dozens of injuries.
Mr Crean, who was subsequently locked in with the knifeman, was stabbed in his left hand, three times in his back, once on his bottom and twice in his head before he managed to find an empty toilet to hide in.
He lay on the floor losing blood, and about ten minutes later, opened the door to find armed police pointing guns at him.
‘There was big banging and kicking and shouting outside. [Armed police] came on board and I said my name, and they said, “Yeah, Stephen, you can open the door”. But even when I opened the door, they had the gun pointing at me to make sure it was me and I hadn’t put on a voice,’ he recalled.
‘They opened the door just for me, it was clever. They didn’t open the whole train, otherwise he’s going to get off.’
Mr Crean was taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he was discharged from on Sunday morning.
‘I got caught on my fingers. He took a swing at this, and a swing at that. I got caught on the head,’ he said.
‘I was lucky. I got caught on the back a few times. They caught me a few times. The front of me, and my other arm. In the face and everything.’
He added: ‘I’m going to need plastic surgery. One finger doesn’t look clever. I’ve had stitches on them all.
‘I don’t know how long it’s going to take.’
Of his decision to fight back, he said: ‘Probably not many people would’ve done it, but then you’re leaving people behind you vulnerable.’
He has been described as a hero and said: ‘It’s lovely that people are saying nice things about me.
‘One woman messaged me on Facebook and said: “You probably saved my daughter’s life.” I never get emotional, but that got to me.
‘I’m not brave. There’s braver people than me. The train guard, the police, and then the guys that got me off the train.’
