He lit a cigarette and when it was coming to an end he put it down on to the floorboard and tried to put his foot on it to put it out. [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. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. 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. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. [10] Of those who died, 11 were under-18 and 23 were aged 65 or over,[20] and the oldest victim was the club's former chairman, Sam Firth, aged 86. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. All you could hear was sirens and screams. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. People were arriving in a daze outside Bradford police headquarters on Saturday evening and early yesterday. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. [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. Come celebrate the beastly realm and our place in it and with it, an even more radically inclusive and sustainable city and global community in 2023: ANIMALIA! 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. 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. 05/12/15 AT 9:58 AM BST Crowds on the pitch at the Valley Parade stadium after a stand caught fire Getty Images Police have revealed the identity of the man who they believe was responsible. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. 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. 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. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". Loading. The man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. Owing to windy conditions, less than four minutes later the entire wooden stand was engulfed in smoke and fire. 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. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. We couldn't breathe. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. "I looked up and saw the flames. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. [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. 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. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . Bradford City had just won the Third Division Championship and a record number of spectators over 11,000 had turned out to see the club presented with its first piece of league silverware in 56 years. The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. 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]. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. One, now re-situated to that end of the stand where the fire began, is a sculpture donated on the initial re-opening of Valley Parade in December 1986 by Sylvia Graucob, a then Jersey-based former West Yorkshire woman. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. Criticising Bradford City during the case, Mr. Michael Ogden QC, highlighted that the Club 'gave no or very little thought to fire precautions', despite repeated warnings. [11], The disaster also had a long-lasting effect on the fans. 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. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. 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. ", ITV football commentator John Helm, who provided live commentary of the unfolding disaster across the nation: "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. 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. 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. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . 'This was a dreadful afternoon. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. 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. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. 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." [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. 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?. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. [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. Television cameras spotted the outbreak of fire in Valley Parade's main stand at 15:40 BST. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Since then, it has been further re-developed and, today, Valley Parade is a modern 25,136 all-seater stadium, which is virtually unrecognisable from how it was at the time of the disaster, save for the original clubhouse that still stands beside the main stand, and the flank support wall that runs down the Hollywell Ash Lane at the "Bradford End". ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. "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. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. 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". 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. Speculation an Australian man started the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. 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 . Lincoln City's board responded by committing 1.1million (3.5million today) to their ground's renovation in the year that immediately followed the fire at Valley Parade, and over the following decade made improvements that eventually totalled 3million. The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. The stand slopes downwards from the South Parade. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. "All you could see was black cloud. 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. ', 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. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. 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. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. 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. He was completely on fire and it looked as though he simply did not know what had happened to him.'. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. Many who had walked out of the fire stood on the pitch looking back in horror as the flames destroyed the stand. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. 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. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. 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. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. The inquiry had found that the club had been warned that the accumulation of rubbish beneath the stands was a fire risk. I don't see that. 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? [57] Following the 30th anniversary of the fire, a number of news organisations named this man as Eric Bennett who was visiting his nephew in Bradford from Australia and attended the game on the day. he asks. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. 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. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" The fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium in which 56 people died and more than 270 were injured is remembered 25 years on. By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. 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). The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. Pendleton: "I got pushed down to the front and I remember looking around and suddenly this smouldering, small fire had taken over virtually half a block and was starting to hit the roof. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. 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. 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. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. All Rights Reserved. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. 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. Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the fire. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. Tarpaulin fell on them and stuck to their clothes and then ignited. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. Football architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to carry out the work. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. [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. 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. Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. The 4-alarm fire started in a one-story lumber storage building and spread to an adjacent building . Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. We had not been told anything.". 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 . Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Of the 56 people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. She was an. [45] PCs Peter Donald Barrett and David Charles Midgley, along with spectators Michael William Bland and Timothy Peter Leigh received the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct. 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. [52], On 1 May 2010, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fire the football TV show Football Focus was hosted from Valley Parade by Dan Walker, the show included interviews with Terry Yorath and John Hendrie. "We stayed in the pub for hours. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. 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. 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.
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