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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. But I've never spoken to anyone who thought the fire wasn't anything other than a tragic accident. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. 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. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. There was hardly anything left of him.'. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. The fire was described as the worst fire disaster in the history of British football, and the worst football related disaster since 66spectators died at Ibrox in 1971. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . There were no fire extinguishers. The inquiry had found that the club had been warned that the accumulation of rubbish beneath the stands was a fire risk. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. 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? Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. It is not thought that there was any crowd trouble in this section but one theory the police are investigating is that a flare or smoke-bomb was thrown or was accidentally dropped. Uncensored coverage of the fire was transmitted minutes after the event on World of Sport and the BBC's Grandstand after the video cassette was physically driven to Yorkshire Television. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. 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. Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. Christopher Hammond, who was 12 on the day, said on the 20th anniversary of the fire: "As a 12-year-old, it was easy to move on I didn't realise how serious it was until I looked at the press coverage over the next few days. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . We wanted to record the trophy presentation. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. ", There has always been a close bond between the club and its supporters since the fire, he adds. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. Some of the dead were found at the bottom of these steps. "Me and my dad eventually got out safely but it was a bit of a struggle at one point because the walls getting down to the pitch level were quite high I didn't get a growth spurt until I was 16 or 17.". And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. However, as there was no real precedent, most Bradfordians accepted that the fire was a terrible piece of misfortune. Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. 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 a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". 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. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. 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. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. 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. We had not been told anything.". Led by former England international Trevor Cherry, the Bantams won only their third divisional title and earned a return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1937. Each year Lincoln send representatives to the annual memorial service in Bradford city centre and between 2007 and 2009, were managed by Bradford's captain that day, Peter Jackson. 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. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. 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. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. [7] As it was the first piece of league silverware that the club had captured since they won the Division Three (North) title 56years earlier, 11,076supporters were in the ground. 'They did not have a chance. 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." In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. "[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'. The horrific scenes of people burning alive seemed to live on in an eerie silence as daylight broke over the remains of Bradford City Football Club's ground yesterday. The main stand at Bradford was not surrounded by fencing, and therefore most of the spectators in it could escape onto the pitch if they had been penned in then the death toll would inevitably have been in the hundreds if not the thousands. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. As a result, Bradford-born captain Peter Jackson was presented with the league trophy before the final game of the season with mid-table Lincoln City at Valley Parade on 11 May 1985. Hillsborough looms the largest in our collective consciousness, but there were also the many deaths that occurred at Heysel Stadium in 1985, as well as the Bradford City stadium fire that same year. Those who escaped walked to a nearby pub to use the phone to ring home, while others arrived in a daze outside the police headquarters to try and trace relatives. All Rights Reserved. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. On 11 May 1985 a blaze ripped through Bradford City stadium's wooden structure in minutes as the club played Lincoln City in an end of season match. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. The worst fire disaster in English football history played out on live television on May 11, after Valley Parade's main stand caught fire during a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City on . Martin Fletcher was talking to BBC Look North. "[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. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. 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. 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. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". ", Popplewell: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. Fifty-six people died. 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. At the time of the disaster, many stadiums had perimeter fencing between the stands and the pitch to prevent incidents of football hooliganism particularly pitch invasions which were rife during the 1980s. [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. Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. The stories of escapes are legion. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. '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.'. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. The stand itself was engulfed in seconds, almost as if petrol had been ignited throughout the block. [2] The main stand was described as a "mammoth structure", but was unusual for its time because of its place on the side of a hill. However as the game against Lincoln progressed, a fire began just before half-time in the stand that ran alongside the pitch. The heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. And all you could smell was burning.". People ran onto the pitch with their clothes on fire while others were trapped at the back of the stand where they had gone to try to escape through the turnstiles. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. "I parked my van outside because I started making enough money painting as I was in construction. 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. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold. 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. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. Fans in the next stand (the "Bradford End") pulled down the fence separating them from the pitch. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. However, the turnstiles were locked and none of the stadium staff were present to unlock them, leaving no escape through the normal entrances and exits. "[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. Some people seem to have run back up the slope, thinking that they could get back through the turnstiles, and were burned alive. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. "[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. On the recording are Dene Michael (Black Lace), The Chuckle Brothers, Clive Jackson of Dr & The Medics, Owen Paul, Billy Pearce, Billy Shears, Flint Bedrock, Danny Tetley and Rick Wild of The Overlanders. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. The intensity of the blaze which spread 'quicker than people could walk' destroyed the main stand area, leaving a skeleton of burned seats, lamps and fences. That's when everybody else had the same thought. Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. "I looked up and saw the flames. 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. 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. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. Mr Tony Delahunte, who was presenting a programme from the ground for Pennine Radio, said 'The fire seemed to me to start with a smoke bomb. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. 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). Bradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. [5] However, he also warned the club of a build-up of litter beneath the stand because of a gap between the seats. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. 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. 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. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Television cameras spotted the outbreak of fire in Valley Parade's main stand at 15:40 BST. The smoke was choking. 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. Smoke was seen coming from the third row in the section but people are apparently used to seeing smoke flares on the Bradford ground. Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. In those days there was a lot of hooliganism and violence, so my initial thought was: 'I hope it has not kicked off - that's the last thing we need'. [3] It included a main stand which seated 5,300fans, and had room for a further 7,000 standing spectators in the paddock in front. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. 'It is the worst day in my life. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. [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. "That was the legacy of the tragedy. [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. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. What Is Burning Man? His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. 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. Today, locals continue to raise money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in memory of the victims of the fire. The club's success had swollen the crowd to 10,000 and arguments will rage about fire precautions at the ground. 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. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. 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. "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. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. 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. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. [38], The tragedy received immense media attention and drew support from around the world, with those offering their sympathy including Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated wooden stand, which had survived because the club did not have the money to replace it, and accumulated paper litter, were considered to have conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League. Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. The game was irrelevant. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. 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. He photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic.
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