[48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. 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. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through."
Grenfell among the UK's worst fire and tower tragedies Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. Most of the exits at the back were locked or shut and there were no stewards present to open them, but seven were forced open or found open. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. The main stand at Valley Parade burned down after what was thought to be a dropped cigarette led to flames which engulfed the entire wooden structure. 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. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. I dread to imagine how many more could have died if the wind had been blowing in the direction of the pitch, instead of away from it. More than 200 people were taken to hospital, many with terrible injuries. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. Original television coverage of the fire, as caught by cameras covering the match. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same .
The Most Tragic Nightclub Fires In History - Grunge.com "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. We went over to the policeman stood at the corner flag and asked if it was being sorted out, and he said it was under control," Harrison says. They were not able to use water on the stand immediately because this would have hampered attempts to rescue people being dragged by the police and friends from the stand. However, there is a lot in this book that troubles me about the science, or lack of it, used in the testing of the investigators' hypothesis as to the source of the ignition. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. There were no fire extinguishers. "As well as those who lost their lives or were injured, there are the relatives and friends, the others who were at the game, and those who would normally have gone to the match but decided not to that day. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. "[33], Central to the test case were two letters sent to Bradford City's Club Secretary by the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade; the second letter dated 18 July 1984 specifically highlighted in full the improvements needed to be actioned at the ground as well as the fire risk at the main stand. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. 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. Surviving supporters, former Bradford players, the sole television commentator at the stadium and the judge who led the government inquiry tell the BBC about that fateful afternoon and its aftermath.
199 Bradford City Stadium Fire Photos and Premium High Res Pictures The 1985 Bradford City Stadium fire remembered - IFSEC Global 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . On Saturday 11 May 2002, the 17th anniversary of the disaster, a memorial with the names of those who lost their lives was dedicated at the new entrance to the redeveloped Sunwin stand. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. The flames suddenly appeared and the whole roof took alight,' he said. 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. [34], During the case, Sir Joseph Cantley stated that: "It is only right that I should say that I think it would be unfair to conclude that Heginbotham, Tordoff, the Board of Directors, or any of them, were intentionally and callously indifferent to the safety of spectators using the stand.
Bradford City stadium fire: Police identify man who 'dropped the "[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. Fifty-six people died. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Revealed: former Bradford chairman linked to at least eight fires before Valley Parade disaster, Martin Fletcher: Maybe the reason I am here is to finally reveal the truth, TheStory of the Bradford Fire: could any man really be as unlucky as Stafford Heginbotham?. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. [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. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter.
Bradford City fire was started by a tourist who dropped a cigarette Nigel Adams who worked for 12 years as a fire investigator with a British fire service was spurred on by the book to join the call for a fresh inquiry, stating that Fletcher's book was "one of the best accounts of a fire, as seen from a victim's point of view, and as a piece of investigative writing, I have ever read".
They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. 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 referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. The match, Bradford against Lincoln, was to have been a joyous climax to the club winning the Third Division championship and being promoted to the Second Division. The game was irrelevant. 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. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. Fifty-six people died. [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.
What Is Burning Man? | Burning Man Fletcher said that "The club at the time took no actual responsibility for its actions and nobody has ever really been held accountable for the level of negligence which took place. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. We sat in the main stand the week before, but we had decided to move on that day," he says. 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. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. 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.. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. The fire claimed young and old alike, with most fatalities occurring at the rear of the stand where people sought escape only to find turnstiles locked.
BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. [15] They included three who tried to escape through the toilets, 27 who were found by exit K and turnstiles 6 to 9 at the rear centre of the stand, and two elderly people who had died in their seats. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices
Bradford City stadium fire | Football Wiki | Fandom 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. England won the re-match 64. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. It took the firemen four minutes to arrive at the ground but the speed of the fire was such that the blaze also took only four minutes to grip the entire stand. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. The courts held the club to be two thirds responsible, finding that it gave "no or very little thought to fire precautions" despite repeated warnings. Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the fire. "[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. 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. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. "Since then I have thought of everything we could have done, but we didn't have the presence of mind to run across the pitch and tell people to get out. We couldn't breathe. He went on to state: "In 1985 fire investigation in Britain was in its infancy and some would say at that time most fire investigators were not much more than dust-kickers. 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. Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. A giant Christian cross, made up of two large charred wooden members[44] that had once been part of the stand, was constructed in front of the middle of the stand and behind the pitchside speaker's platform. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. After 40 minutes of the first half, fans had begun to complain about the drab match and the 0-0 score. The heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. [46], In 2014, the theatre company Funny You Should Ask (FYSA) premiered their heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died at the fire. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. 527 votes, 98 comments. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. Tarpaulin fell on them and stuck to their clothes and then ignited. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. 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. [6], The 198485 season had been one of Bradford City's most successful seasons, ending with City clinching the championship title courtesy of a 20 victory against Bolton Wanderers in the penultimate game of the season. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). Within a few hours of the blaze starting, it was established that 56 people had been killed, many as a result of smoke inhalation, although some of them had survived until reaching hospital.[11]. Forty-two minutes into the first half of the game, he looked to his left to see smoke and flames rising from the old wooden seats. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. 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. He photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. 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. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. Part of the Appeal funds were raised by a recording of "You'll Never Walk Alone"[42] from Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Carousel by The Crowd (including Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who had recorded the 1963 version that led to Liverpool adopting it as their motto and team song), which reached number one in the UK Singles chart. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous.