Scunthorpe fans fundraise for player injured in Huntingdon train stabbings

A Scunthorpe United fan said he hopes donations for defender Jonathan Gjoshe, who was injured in the Cambridgeshire train stabbings, show “solidarity” among the football community.

On Saturday, the club said, Gjoshe sustained non life-threatening injuries in the attack on the train from Doncaster to London.

The 22-year-old, who signed for the club in September, was reportedly slashed across the bicep and has had to have an operation.

A fundraiser organised to support Gjoshe in his recovery has been organised by the club’s Iron Bru fan site and passed £3,700 in donations as of Wednesday afternoon.

Matt Ellis, who has been a fan of Scunthorpe United since childhood and set up the appeal, said the donations received “absolutely” embodied the spirit of the club.

The funds raised will go towards “any adjustments” necessary for Gjoshe such as care, transport costs and loss of earnings while he recovers from his injuries, according to the GoFundMe page.

Of the fundraiser, Mr Ellis said: “We’ve seen really good engagement and really good support from Scunthorpe fans on this one.

“Quite a few names have popped up in donations that I don’t recognise as well so the wider football community has been really helpful on this as well to just drop a few quid in, and once you get a little bit of momentum it can quickly kind of mount up.

“So it’s been really pleasing to see that sort of level of solidarity from Scunthorpe United fans and from football fans in the wider community.”

Asked what his message would be for Gjoshe, Mr Ellis said: “I hope he’s recovering well, and obviously it’s been a horrendous event that he’s gone through.

“It must be incredibly traumatic, and the same for everybody who was on that train and experienced that, and we just hope that the money we’ve been able to raise is something that can help him get back on his feet, really, and it’ll help also kind of show the solidarity towards him from Scunthorpe fans and from the football community.”

Mr Ellis, who hosts the fan-run Iron Bru podcast, said the club was a “huge part” of the local community and he believed it was important for football enthusiasts to support their hometown teams as well as Premier League giants.

A statement from the club on Saturday read: “Everyone at the club, from the board, management and his teammates, along with all staff behind the scenes, sends our heartfelt well wishes to Jonathan for a full recovery, which is also extended to all the victims on board the train.”

Anthony Williams, 32, was remanded into custody at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with 10 counts of attempted murder over the train incident.

He is next due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on December 1.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit gofundme.com/f/help-for-jonathan-gjoshe-after-huntingdon-train-stabbing