Forest Community Rallies After LNER Train Stabbings As Fans Lauded For Bravery
Football can be a refuge, a release. On Saturday night, for too many Nottingham Forest supporters, the journey home became something else entirely. An attack on the 18:25 LNER service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross — carrying many Forest fans after the 2-2 draw with Manchester United at the City Ground — left 11 people injured, two critically, and the game we love felt very small for a moment.
Swift police response and no terror link
Passengers reported the violence began after the train passed Peterborough. Police were called at 19:39 GMT, with British Transport Police alerted at 19:42. The service was halted at Huntingdon, where armed officers boarded and detained two British men within eight minutes of BTP being notified. Authorities later said there was nothing to suggest a terror motive.
Forest’s message: sympathy, solidarity and pride
On Sunday, Nottingham Forest issued a public message of support and solidarity for everyone caught up in what the club called a distressing incident. The statement recognised that many London-based Reds were on board and paid tribute to “extraordinary bravery” shown by passengers — conduct that, the club believes, prevented an even worse outcome.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis echoed those sentiments, saying the whole club was shocked and saddened, and promising that any affected supporter will receive financial help to access the best possible medical care. It’s the kind of vow supporters remember — a clear declaration that the badge looks after its own.
Eyewitness accounts of courage
One passenger, Alistair Day, described the chaos as people rushed through carriages seeking safety. He recalled a Forest-clad supporter declaring he would confront the attacker, and later seeing him on the platform at Huntingdon, bloodied but standing his ground. In moments like these, ordinary fans become extraordinary — and they don’t do it for applause.
From Downing Street to the dressing room: a united front
The Prime Minister called the incident deeply concerning and thanked the emergency services for their rapid, coordinated response, urging the public to follow police advice. In footballing terms, this was a multi-agency high press that did its job quickly — and it will be crucial in the days ahead as investigators piece together the full picture.
Pundit’s view: when the result fades, the community matters
We’ll talk tactics and refereeing decisions soon enough, but some weekends remind you why clubs are more than wins and losses. Forest’s reaction — from the tone of the statement to the owner’s promise — strikes the right note. Supporters showed courage under unimaginable pressure; now the rest of us show ours by backing them, giving space to the investigation, and checking in on the people who were there.
Football is tribal; community is family. If you’re looking for our broader coverage — from match analysis to guides on betting sites uk — you’ll find it on the homepage, but tonight the only odds that matter are the ones stacked against those recovering. Here’s to them turning the tide.
Key facts at a glance
• 11 people injured and treated in hospital; two remain in a life-threatening condition.
• Two British men arrested after armed police boarded at Huntingdon.
• Police were called at 19:39 GMT; BTP alerted at 19:42; arrests made within eight minutes of BTP’s alert.
• Authorities say there is no evidence of a terror link at this stage.
• Nottingham Forest praised the bravery of passengers and pledged financial support for affected fans.
In the end, football will roll on — fixtures, narratives, the lot — but the story that matters most right now is the recovery of those hurt and the quiet determination of a fanbase pulling together. That’s Forest through and through.
