OK, here we go then. You can all stop bloody messaging me now
So, yeah, I'm in the video. You can see me from the start (glasses, blue shirt & jeans) and hear me at various points throughout.
The video was shot at 6pm, more than an hour after the game had finished and that's why there weren't that many Cov fans on the platform.
About 10 from the London Supporters inc. me, a few younger lads which included Callum, the one who's shooting the video, and a fair few ordinary passengers were mid-platform, near the entrance with a few other groups of Cov fans towards one end. Probably another 20 or so.
The train that pulls in is the 18.01 to London but it called at L******r so I'm assuming the other Cov fans there were going to Hinckley. (There was a Brum train at 18.07 for Cov-bound fans but I don't know how many were staying back for that one.)
Fisher lives in south London so driving back isn't really an option and he often gets the later trains back and will come and have a chat with the London Supporters and other fans travelling south if they're around.
The only time there's ever been any aggro that I've witnessed was someone yelling at him from another platform at Preston and last time we were at Southend, a guy started a slightly heated conversation with him. And they sat down on the train together and talked all the way back into London and they guy made his points and listened to Fisher's points.
Fisher doesn't really shy away from meeting with any fans and doesn't really object if they're a bit angry about the state of the club – he knows where they're coming from as he's spoken to enough of them over the years. He'll have a conversation and try and put his side of the story across. In fact he seems to prefer talking to the ones who have strong, passionate opinions.
Anyhow, he knew which train CCLSC were getting so he arrived on the platform a few minutes beforehand and came over to our group.
There was a group of younger lads next to us who were hovering as if they wanted to talk to Fisher but didn't want to interrupt. I started chatting to one of them (Callum, the lad who shot the vid) and that, I think, is why the video was recording as I said I'd introduce to Fisher so he could ask him some questions.
As this was happening, Fisher had started talking to another group of younger lads which is when "silver haired bloke" (SHB) got involved with that conversation. (I'll agree with others that he probably didn't help and I have told him that.) Just after that has stopped is where the video starts as I'm trying to move SHB away from the groups at the other end of the platform and then try to introduce Callum to Fisher again. (You can here that on the video.)
Then the lad in the the black t-shirt (BTS) gets in Fisher's face asking a question and then launching into a torrent of abuse. (He wasn't with any group, just his Dad. I spoke with them both for a bit on the train after and his Dad thought he should have tried a calmer approach but BTS wasn't unhappy about having had the chance to have a go at Fisher. I tried to convince him that maybe he should try and have an actual conversation with him at some point but I'm not sure he was that bothered. He wasn't a thug or anything like that, just an ordinary fan that lost his rag a bit. Seemed like a good lad otherwise.)
Whilst that is going on, the scuffles start breaking out further up the platform and some rat family reject (RFR) decides it's a good idea to nick my mate's beers (you can see him carrying a 4-pack and an orange & blue top (OBT)) so of course that starts another round of handbags. I managed to retrieve a few of them and drag OBT away as RFR decides that he wants a fight and starts offering OBT out. The the video stops just before this point as punches are thrown and then most people get on the train at various points.
There were three sets of police on the platform: West Mids, British Transport and local Derbyshire. They tried to separate the various groups of fans and as the train was in sight, start ushering FIsher further down the platform and they get on a first class carriage. Two coppers stay with Fisher in first class (at their request, he had a second class ticket) until L******r where they get off, to go on the next train with the other Cov fans.
I spoke with the police with Fisher and they didn't seem to blame him in any way, more blame towards that fans who were shouting and scuffling.
Ordinary passengers on the train seemed pretty shocked / pissed off with lots of muttering about idiots, football hooligans and so forth. I doubt any of them got the subtleties of our long-running dispute.
So there you go. As others have said, mainly handbags and thanks to the group who were too scared to go near Fisher but were happy to start on their fellow fans and start all the SISU/Fisher chanting, another low for Cov fans that does absolutely nothing to further our cause.
We'll get a heavier police presence now and our social media will be monitored (so if you're out there giving it the large one, you might want to pull your horns in as pre-meditated violence gets you much harder treatment in court).
Looking at some of the more meat-headed reactions on here and social media, there are a few dullards who think this is great. I side with the likes of Duffer who think that there's no place for this kind of bullshit. Eventually, someone is going to get seriously injured and we can all sit round and point fingers at who is to blame. All over a fucking football club.
