The Irish budget chain had previously refused to give Stephen Crean a refund
Stephen Crean received a phenomenal standing ovation and was given a seat in the directors’ box near club owner Evangelos Marinakis(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
An airline has stepped in to fly Huntingdon train attack hero Stephen Crean to Nottingham Forest’s upcoming game in Portugal after ‘poxy’ Ryanair refused to refund his recent flight tickets.
Mr Crean, 61, was unable to attend the Reds’ away fixture against SK Sturm Graz in Austria on November 6 due to injuries he sustained after bravely stepping in to fight off a man brandishing a knife on an LNER train service.
The lifelong Forest fan was on his way back from a previous home clash against Manchester United on Saturday, November 1, when he stepped up and saved lives in the process.
Ten people were injured during the terrifying incident and Mr Crean himself was also attacked. But despite the immense sacrifice he made, budget airline Ryanair refused to refund his tickets to Forest’s Austria game and even suggested he should have taken out travel insurance beforehand.
In a statement, the budget airline said: “All Ryanair air fares are non-refundable, which is why we strongly recommend passengers take out travel insurance in order to protect themselves if they can’t travel.”
This prompted calls for Forest fans to boycott Ryanair, with Mr Crean himself even weighing in and describing the Irish firm as “poxy”.
But after Nottinghamshire Live’s coverage of Ryanair’s refusal to refund the train hero, another airline has presented him with a new offer.
British Airways has offered Mr Crean two return business class seats to Porto to see Forest take on Sporting Braga on Thursday, January 22.
The offer, which the 61-year-old has accepted, also includes accommodation for two nights at a five-star hotel. Nottingham Forest have also arranged tickets for Mr Crean to attend the Europa League game itself.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer, said: “Stephen’s actions that day were heroic. In a moment of terrifying danger, he put the safety and welfare of others ahead of his own.
“We’re delighted to offer him this gesture as a small way of expressing our gratitude and recognition for his remarkable courage and bravery.”
Multiple people were stabbing during the incident on the LNER service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross(Image: Getty)
It comes after Forest fans pledged to never fly with the Irish budget firm again, with one of Mr Crean’s closest friends adding: “It’s shocking what Ryanair have done and Stephen is gutted he can’t come”.
But having now accepted British Airways’ offer, Mr Crean said: “So many people have been so kind since the incident happened, it’s been incredibly overwhelming.
“I’m really grateful to British Airways for making this happen and I can’t wait to get on the plane to Portugal to watch the Reds hopefully bring home a win.”
In a post on Facebook, the hero directly addressed Ryanair’s lack of compassion, writing: “Saving a life is much more important than a poxy Ryanair flight – I am not bothered about it or the money.
“It’s not about that. Shame is on you, and that’s coming from an Irish citizen”. Whilst the Londoner had to watch Forest’s game on Thursday (November 6) at his local whilst he recovered from his injuries, he was back at the City Ground on Sunday (November 9) for the fixture against Leeds United.
There, he received a phenomenal standing ovation and was given a seat in the directors’ box near club owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough, has since been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and one count of possession of a bladed article, following the attack.
Samir Zitouni, 48, has also been named as a hero LNER worker onboard who also helped protect those being targeted by the killer.