[48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. Witnesses of the fire have come to terms with the tragedy in different ways. [15], At 3:44pm, five minutes before half-time, the first sign of a firea glowing lightwas noticed three rows from the back of block G,[10][16] as reported by television commentator John Helm. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. [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. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. 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. 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. 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. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. 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. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. 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. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. Burning Man.NYC. "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. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. 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. 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. It was an awful thing to watch.". Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. [53], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. I had no idea. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. 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. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. [8][9] In the crowd were local dignitaries and guests from three of Bradford's twin townsVerviers in Belgium, and Mnchengladbach and Hamm in West Germany. As we move ahead on the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, sustainability projects are taking center stage. All that was left of the main stand were rows of bare steel and stone, with blackened timbers hanging from the few remaining roof supports. Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund had been set up and would eventually raise over 3.5m ($5.4m). 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! The smoke was choking. 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. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. 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. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. 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. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. Fifty-six people died. 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). Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. 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. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. "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. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. 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. "[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. "[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. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. [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. "[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. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Martin Fletcher, a Bradford fan who lost three generations of his family in the fire, published a memoir of the tragic event called Fifty-Six The Story Of The Bradford Fire, in which he claimed the blaze at Valley Parade was one of nine fires at businesses owned by or associated with Heginbotham. We had to run up the stairs, through the office doors and out on to the street. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. 527 votes, 98 comments. 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. We accepted it was an accident, nobody wanted to blame the club because it was the club we wanted to support. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. 56 people dead. ", Popplewell: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". 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. 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". "I looked up and saw the flames. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. 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. [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. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. One letter from the council said the problems "should be rectified as soon as possible"; a second said: "A carelessly discarded cigarette could give rise to a fire risk." We had not been told anything.". I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. 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. [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. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. Some days I had two operations in a day. The other, situated by the main entrance, was donated by the club after its 7.5million (13million today) rebuilding of the original main stand in 2002. "[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. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. 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. We couldn't breathe. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. Hendrie: "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. "I'm taking the opportunity to lay out the facts that were not laid out in 1985 at the time of the inquiry or the inquests. 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. 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. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. "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. 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 with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". [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. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. 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. Speculation an Australian man started the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. "I've always loved art but I owned businesses in construction so I've never had the time or a chance to follow it up," he says. 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. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. It was unprecedented.". 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. What Is Burning Man? The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. 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 . 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. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. "[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. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire, Bradford City fans pay tribute to the 56 fans who died the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985, The blaze causing the deaths of 56 supporters in one of the worst incidents in British football, Bradford artist Paul Town was inspired to paint after surviving the Valley Parade fire, Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, New book claims fatal 1985 Bradford City Valley Parade fire might have been started deliberately, Bradford City chairman 'linked to eight fires' before Valley Parade stadium disaster, Bradford City 0-0 Reading: Bantams hold Royals in quarter-final stalemate, David Alaba receives massive abuse for voting for Lionel Messi in The Best awards, Glazers' demands set to delay Manchester United takeover: reports, Man Utd beat West Ham to reach FA Cup quarters as Spurs crash out, Bahrain GP: F1 team rankings ahead of 2023 season-opener, Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Xavi admits Los Blancos still favourites to advance.
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