People were arriving in a daze outside Bradford police headquarters on Saturday evening and early yesterday. There were no extinguishers in the stand's passageway for fear of vandalism, and one spectator ran to the clubhouse to find one but was overcome by smoke and impeded by others trying to escape. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. Loading. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Wildman: "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. About 3,000 people were in Valley Parade's main stand, escaping by climbing over walls on to the pitch or through the usual exit gates. Bradford City stadium fire - Wikipedia But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. Bradford City stadium fire disaster remembered - BBC Sport On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. BBC News - Bradford fire 'will live with me forever' Smoke was seen coming from the third row in the section but people are apparently used to seeing smoke flares on the Bradford ground. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. More than 200 people were taken to hospital, many with terrible injuries. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. After its renovation in 1990 they named the home end of their ground the 'Stacey-West Stand', in honour of Bill Stacey and Jim West, the two Lincoln City supporters who were amongst the 56 to die at Bradford. "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. It was an awful thing to watch.". Lincoln City suffered two successive relegations, first to the Fourth Division in 1986, and again in 1987, becoming the first team to be automatically relegated from the Football League itself. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. Although some attributed Lincoln City's sudden demise to the psychological effects of the fire on its players (together with the resignation of successful manager Colin Murphy shortly before the fire), it symbolised the wider crisis that the introduction of new safety legislation brought to Lincoln's Sincil Bank home. Heginbotham died in 1995, aged 61, and was never prosecuted for the stadium fire, despite the coroner later saying he had given serious consideration to bringing a charge of manslaughter as the club had failed to act on three separate warnings about a potential fire risk. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. [36], In 2010, Susan Fletcher's son and survivor of the Bradford City fire (and witness to the Hillsborough disaster), Martin Fletcher, openly criticised the club's hierarchy at the time of the fire and the subsequent investigation. Today, locals continue to raise money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in memory of the victims of the fire. The plastic surgeon who treated the injuries of over 200, Professor David Sharpe, went on to set up a world-renowned burns research facility at the University of Bradford. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire We had not been told anything.". A new book, written by Valley Parade survivor Martin Fletcher, claims then-Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham had previously netted millions of pounds from insurance payouts after at least eight previous fires at businesses he was associated with. On 11 May 1985 a fire erupted in the midst of a third-division tie between Bradford City and Lincoln City at Valley Parade, killing 54 home supporters and two Lincoln fans. Last edited: May 11, 2021 May 11, 2019 #2 JohnnyKills Full Member Joined Jan 8, 2016 Messages 6,902 Yeah footage is horrendous isn't it. "[59], Raymond Falconer's reliability had previously been questioned by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian who stated that: "The Bradford Telegraph and Argus described him as a 'top detective'. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. The smoke was choking. Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund had been set up and would eventually raise over 3.5m ($5.4m). It was appalling that public money was given to the club while it was still owned by the same shareholders under whose direction the fire had happened. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. 05/10/15 AT 12:00 PM BST Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire Getty Images Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands. Burning Man NYC "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. "It is hard to imagine how Martin and his mother have managed to cope over the last 30 years and we have always respected him," Harrison says. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. 'They did not have a chance. Bradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21 and stood in the main stand: "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. Following his own 15 year investigation Into the fire, which killed four of his family members while he escaped, former tax accountant Martin Fletcher released 56: The Story of the Bradford Fire (2015). "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". "[55], Adams also went on to state that "I have read in some newspapers that he is being berated for his campaign to have a new inquiry. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. A bid of 350 has been made for the original painting and Town will sell 56 prints in memorial of those who lost their lives, with the aim of raising 3,000 for the Bradford Burns Unit. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . As we move ahead on the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, sustainability projects are taking center stage. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. People were scrambling for their lives to get out, and I know having sat in that stand normally that it is difficult and there is a drop to get to the pitch level," Harrison says. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Part of the service was also held in Urdu and Punjabi as a sign of appreciation to the local ethnically Asian Subcontinental community in Manningham, Bradford and around Valley Parade who had opened their homes to Bradford City supporters to provide assistance in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. Bradford City Stadium Fire 56 Dead & 100's Injured The Bradford City stadium fire was a stadium disaster that occurred during an English League Third Division fixture between Bradford City and Lincoln City on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". At 3.40pm, television commentator John Helm remarked upon a small fire in the main stand; in less than four minutes, with the windy conditions, the fire had engulfed the whole stand, trapping some people in their seats. Bradford City stadium fire: Remembering the 56 who died at Valley - IBT I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. "[11] Police Superintendent Barry Osborne, divisional commander for the area, said many of his officers cried when they saw how badly people had been burned. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. "The players were told to go to the pub at the top of the road, we didn't know at this point if anyone had been killed. [56], On 17 April 2015, retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer, in a report by the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, said the police were aware of an Australian man who admitted to starting the fire. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan,[18] as did player John Hawley,[15] and one officer led fans to an exit, only to find it shut and had to turn around. **The Bradford City Stadium Tragedy** - Firehouse Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. We didn't know how serious it was.". We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. Tarpaulin fell on them and stuck to their clothes and then ignited. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." They were hampered further by the fact that doors at the back of the stand were locked to try to stop people coming in without paying. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. Following the hearing in 1986, a test case was brought against the club by David Britton, a police sergeant serving on the day, and by Susan Fletcher, who lost her husband John, 11-year-old son Andrew, John's brother Peter and his father Edmond in the fire. Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. There were no fire extinguishers. No fire extinguishers had been installed over fears of vandalism and less than four minutes after the fire was reported, the fire had engulfed the whole stand. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. Most recognizably, tens of thousands of Burners gather annually to build Black Rock City, a participative temporary metropolis . "[16] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. The fire happened during a football match. And the black and twisted skeleton of the burnt stand stood out in the night. We sat in the main stand the week before, but we had decided to move on that day," he says. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. The Bradford City stadium fire occurred during a Football League Third Division match on Saturday, 11 May 1985 at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, killing 56 spectators and injuring at least 265. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. 'This was a dreadful afternoon. The match between Bradford City and Lincoln City, the final game of that season, had started in a celebratory atmosphere with the home team receiving the Third Division championship trophy. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. Bradford City fire: Police reveal who was responsible for 1985 Valley It occurred during a league match in front of record numbers of spectators, on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. Although there was no perimeter fencing, such as led to the devastating crush at Hillsborough, locked turnstiles meant that many fans who tried to escape by that means were killed or seriously injured. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. I had no idea. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. The fact the inquiry also embraced the investigation into another incident which happened on the same day, a riot in which a young boy died at Birmingham City, makes it seem more frivolous. "We couldn't help because there were so many people streaming towards us, to our side of the pitch, to get away from the heat. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. More than 3,500 people were crammed into the main stand area and this prevented people from moving away from the blaze quickly. Luckily, his father arrived home shortly after he did, but 30 years on, he still remembers the young woman who served him a Mars Bar and his father a coffee, who never made it out of the stadium. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. [46], In 2014, the theatre company Funny You Should Ask (FYSA) premiered their heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died at the fire. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden bench consumed the entire stand in under four minutes.Original TV footage: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x31qcmtIf you would like to support this channel - https://buymeacoffee.com/TheRavensEyeAlthough focused primarily on disasters, this channel is all about the interesting, the strange, the unsolved, the tragic. Bradford City stadium fire. A football match in Bradford UK ends The blame was through neglect, they didn't have the money to maintain the stand. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. [49], Parrs Wood Press published Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire (2005) by author Paul Firth;[50] the title refers to the estimated time it took for the stand to be completely ablaze from the first flames being spotted. [11] Those who escaped were taken out of the ground to neighbouring homes and a pub, where a television screened World of Sport, which broadcast video recorded of the fire just an hour after it was filmed. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. List of building or structure fires - Wikipedia "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. Bradford fire: the horrors and the silence that had to be broken Daniel Taylor The policewoman assigned to the grieving Fletchers gets goosebumps when she looks back to 30 years ago. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. The firemen who arrived there were met by a wall of flame and dense black smoke. Bradford fire 11.5.1985.mpg - video Dailymotion It is impossible so far to be accurate about the precise cause of the fire, with grossly conflicting reports from witnesses. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. "The letters that went to the club, the council's failings, the police's failings, even as supporters we allowed a culture where the gates were locked. [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) - YouTube Sign in to confirm your age 0:00 / 5:23 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users.. Treatment of casualties and Burns Research Unit, Dramatisations, documentaries and published works, West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of accidents and disasters by death toll, List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll, "Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day", "Caught in Time: Bradford City win the Third Division, 1985", "EXCLUSIVE: Bradford's Valley Parade fire must be remembered like Hillsborough", "History of The Bradford Sling The Bradford Sling", "Bradford City football stadium blaze surgeon honoured", "Research centre to be living memorial to Bradford City FC fire disaster", "The Papers of the Popplewell Inquiry into Crowd Safety at Sports Grounds", "Popplewell Inquiry Bradford City Fire", "Bradford remembered: The unheeded warnings that led to tragedy", Joseph Canley summing up statement from test case court transcripts, Newspaper report from Sport and the Law April 21st 1989, "The Glasgow Herald Google News Archive Search", Los Angeles Times report on Bradford City test case findings, Court transcript from the test case brought by Susan Fletcher and Others against Bradford City and Others, "Bradford fire survivor attacks judge over Hillsborough comments", "The Story of the Bradford Fire: 'could any man really be as unlucky as Stafford Heginbotham?
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