The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. The fundraising events included a reunion of the 1966 World Cup Final Starting XI that began with the original starting teams of both England and West Germany, and was held at Leeds United's stadium, Elland Road, in July 1985 to raise funds for the Appeal fund. After the fire, Bradford City also announced they would thereafter play with a black trim on their shirt sleeves as a permanent memorial to those who had died. The money raised from this record was contributed to fund the internationally renowned burns unit that was established in partnership between the University of Bradford and Bradford Royal Infirmary, immediately after the fire, which has also been Bradford City's official charity for well over a decade. 48,785 Location Lake Jonathan Creek The footage never gets any less shocking. The blame was through neglect, they didn't have the money to maintain the stand. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. Grenfell among the UK's worst fire and tower tragedies In the last few years, the BCFC kit-man John Duckworth did a sponsored 73-mile walk between Lincoln's Sincil Bank stadium and Valley Parade, joined by Bradford fans along the way. A capacity 6,000 crowd attended a multi-denominational memorial service, held on the pitch in the sunny shadow of the burnt out stand at Valley Parade in July 1985. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. Called 'The 56' the play dramatises actual accounts of the Bradford City Fire with the purpose of the play showing how in times of adversity, the Football Club and the local community came together. Thirty years on, the majority of survivors still find it too difficult to talk about what happened at the Valley Parade on 11 May 1985. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. 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. So I decided to give it that next push. 'This was a dreadful afternoon. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the penultimate night of Burning Man, which is the Saturday evening before Labor Day. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. The Documentary highlighted the 'poison pen letters' and graffiti targeted at the then club chairman Stafford Heginbotham over accusations that he was in some way personally responsible for the deaths of the 56 people who died at the fire.[54]. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. People were falling on to each other and screaming. [4] Football ground writer Simon Inglis had described the view from the stand as "like watching football from the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel" because of its antiquated supports and struts. It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. Bradford City initially prospered in the Second Division only missing out on promotion to the First Division in 1988 after failing to beat Ipswich Town at home on the final day of their first full season back at Valley Parade. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. 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. Footage of the accident at this point shows levels of confusion among the spectatorswhile many were trying to escape or to cross the pitch to the relative safety of the neighbouring stands, other spectators were observed cheering or waving to the still-rolling pitchside cameras. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, Mr Colin Sampson, said yesterday that a team of doctors and pathologists had worked throughout the night trying to identify the dead. 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. The team was presented with the Division Three championship trophy - their first trophy in 56 years - in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their match against Lincoln City. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. The smoke was choking. It was later established that the blaze was caused by a fan who went to put his cigarette out but dropped it between the floorboards onto a pile of rubbish that had been building up below. Tarpaulin fell on them and stuck to their clothes and then ignited. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. 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 timber and molten material began to fall onto the seating below and black smoke enveloped the passageway behind, where fans were trying to escape. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. "[37], Fletcher subsequently published a book in 2015, Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire which revealed a history of fires at businesses owned by the Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham. Fifty-six people died. "As a 15-year-old, you don't really know how much of an impact an event like that will have on your life," Town says. "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. [citation needed] Mathew Wildman, aged 17 at the time of the fire, commented that "I must have had five different experiments carried out on me with all sorts of new techniques for skin grafts and I had potions injected into me that helped my face repair naturally over time. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". When Town reached the Midland Road side of the pitch, he was faced with horrific scenes of the injured being treated and comforted by ambulance crews, fans and players. "That was the legacy of the tragedy. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. ', Bradford City Fire Website messages of condolence from around the world, "Chuckle Brothers' single for Bradford City fire anniversary", "Bradford City stadium fire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire", "Emotive play of Bradford City fire disaster raises cash for burns unit", "Book Review: Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire by Paul Firth football book reviews", "Football Focus 1st May 2010 Bradford City Part 1", Bradford City A year of healing Documentary, "Bradford fire: expert demands new investigation into blaze", "Bradford City stadium fire 1985 IPCC investigation decision", "BRADFORD CITY FIRE: Accidental cause of tragedy 'not in any doubt', says detective", "Bradford City fire 'started by cigarette', "Bradford City fire: Briton attacks 'inaccurate' BBC documentary claiming his uncle started blaze", "Bradford fire: Sir Oliver Popplewell defends 1985 inquiry interview in full", Living with Jacko From Touchline to Lifeline, Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire, The full Interim Report by Lord Popplewell into the Bradford City Fire, British Medical Journal article on the treatment of burns casualties after the Bradford City Fire, Peter Jackson's account of the Bradford City Fire, Nationally broadcast Yorkshire Television programme covering the fire, broadcast the following day, ITN bulletin covering the fire, also from the following day, ITN bulletin covering the aftermath, from three days later, Chelsea F.C. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. Parents and children were laughing and joking with the police as the preliminaries to the game began. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". I looked down and I saw my hands melting. "[27], After controversial comments made by Popplewell about the Hillsborough Disaster, Fletcher raised further concerns about the events following the fire saying that "I have many unanswered questions still about the fire in which four of my family died, as does my mother. "[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'. Four police officers, constables David Britton and John Richard Ingham and chief inspectors Charles Frederick Mawson and Terence Michael Slocombe, and two spectators, Richard Gough and David Hustler, were awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for their actions. Loading. Bradford City stadium fire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire that devastated Valley Parade Thirty years after football's 'forgotten tragedy', the truth of what exactly happened when 56. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. Guided by the values expressed by the 10 Principles, Burning Man is a global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world. 527 votes, 98 comments. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. "I remember not being able to watch it, but we couldn't get out. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . Football architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to carry out the work. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". People were arriving in a daze outside Bradford police headquarters on Saturday evening and early yesterday. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan, as did player John Hawley, and one officer led fans to an exit, only to find it shut and turn around.Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand, ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. It was an awful thing to watch.". Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. Some repair work was carried out, but in July 1984 the club was warned again, this time by a county council engineer, because of the club's plans to claim for ground improvements from the Football Trust. The heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. "[35], The total amount of compensation to the 154 claimants was reported to be as high as 20million, with the payouts covered by insurance taken out by the club. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. Bradford City Stadium Fire - 36 years ago today | RedCafe.net [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. She was hysterical and trying to find her three children. Brooklyn fire: Lumber storage warehouse in Williamsburg goes up in 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). 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. Bradford City players line up to observe a minutes silence for the 25th anniversary of the 1985 Bradford stadium fire prior to the Coca Cola League. 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. Mr Stefan Krolak, a survivor from Bradford , said he saw the smoke start a few seats away from him 'The smoke seemed suddenly to set on fire. "As I ran away I remember turning around and looking and just seeing this wall of grey smoke pouring out and pushing thousands of people in front of it. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground. [30], The outcome of the test case resulted in over 154 claims being addressed (110 civilians and 44 police officers)[31] by the injured or bereaved. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. His father Tony went back the following day and said: "I wondered how anybody had got out alive, but I also began to feel guilty that I had got out when so many hadn't." I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. 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. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Bradford fire 11.5.1985.mpg - video Dailymotion Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. Helm later described the start of the fire in an interview to the Express newspaper: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, [A] man over from Australia visiting his son got two tickets to the game. The Popplewell Inquiry found that a discarded cigarette and an accumulation of litter beneath the stand were to blame. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. 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. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) There has been reports of people lighting paper under the seats, and it was important that as many fans as possible who were in the stand or at the Kop end contacted the police. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez. 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. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. [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], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). "We couldn't run back down the tunnel. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Pendleton: "As I ran away I remember turning around and looking and just seeing this wall of grey smoke pouring out and pushing thousands of people in front of it. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. 'I have to tell you that the fire was so intense that identifying people is going to be the great problem we have to face.'. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. Bradford City Fire disaster: 36 years on the city's pioneering burns The stand had no perimeter fencing to keep fans from accessing the pitch, thus averting an instance of crush asphyxia as in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. Bradford City Stadium Fire - Saturday 11th May 1985 Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. It was to be our day,' he said. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. Among the main outcomes of the inquiry were the banning of new wooden grandstands at all UK sports grounds, the immediate closure of other wooden stands deemed unsafe and the banning of smoking in other wooden stands. Those who rescued people were themselves burned in the process. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. I do not include the people currently running the club, who have always displayed a great, sensitive duty to the memory of those who died. The heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. Many who had walked out of the fire stood on the pitch looking back in horror as the flames destroyed the stand. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. "I want the truth to be out, the myths to be broken, so that I can get on with my life rather than knowing this information and having to live with this information. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. Now they will begin another inquiry, into the cause of the Bradford fire. 1908 - Collinwood school fire, in Collinwood, Ohio (soon absorbed by Cleveland ), on March 4, killed 175. Ironically, off-duty firemen were at the ground selling raffle tickets for a charity football match which should have been held yesterday. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. [58] Following this report, Leslie Brownlie, who was the nephew in question, is reported to have said that his uncle never made such an admission of starting the fire. [27], Explaining his decision, Sir Joseph Cantley stated: "As I have already stated, the primary duty was on the Club and the functions of the County Council were supervisory and its liability is for negligent breach of a common law duty arising out of the way in which they dealt with or ignored their statutory powers. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. Fletcher has taken facts and presented them in such a way that it should make it moralistically impossible for this incident not to be looked at again. Burning timbers and molten materials fell from the roof onto the crowd and seating below, and dense black smoke enveloped a passageway behind the stand, where many spectators were trying to escape. What Is Burning Man? | Burning Man It seemed to put it out. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City.
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