"We were concerned there might be, because of the rapidity of the fire, a mechanism unknown to us." He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. Police present in the vicinity of seats I142 and J142, where the fire was adjudged to have first taken hold, noticed it. You could hardly breathe. But all the people being treated, we formed a family, a bond.". He lost his father John, 34, his 11-year-old brother Andrew, uncle Peter, 32, and grandfather Eddie, 63, in the fire. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. Fletcher's dogged attempts to demonstrate whether that was just urban rumour included poring over 20 years of local newspaper reports and the business history of Heginbotham. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. 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'. 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. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. You could hardly breathe. [50] Another book; 56: The Story of the Bradford Fire (2015) was written by Martin Fletcher to discuss how the disaster was caused, and follows his loss of his father, brother, uncle and grandfather. But the sheer density of numbers coupled with the thick, choking smoke made people collapse. 1985 - Bradford City football ground - BRE Group It is Mrs Ibrahim's sentiment which seems to be most prevalent in Manningham, the British Asian district bordering Valley Parade, where many locals took injured and traumatised people into their homes that day. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. The fact the inquiry also embraced the investigation into another incident which happened on the same day, a riot in which a young boy died at Birmingham City, makes it seem more frivolous. In May 1985, 56 football fans died in a raging fire at - Reddit "We stayed in the pub for hours. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia; Game attendance: 82,122; Scoring summary; Q2: AUB: Johnson 49 yard field goal: AUB 3-0: Q2: UGA: Jackson 3 yard run . It was 30 years ago. "I've never seen anything like it. "[23], On the 25th anniversary of the fire, the University of Bradford established the United Kingdom's largest academic research centre in skin sciences as an extension to its plastic surgery and burns research unit.[24]. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. The smoke was choking. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. 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. Stuart is mortally wounded, B.F. Goodrich Co. announces development of tubeless tire. "[54], 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. The fateful day happened on 11th May 1985, during a match between home team Bradford City and visitors Lincoln City. 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. We couldn't breathe. "[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. Five minutes before half time at 3.40pm a small fire was noticed three rows from the back of G block in the Valley Parade ground and fire-fighting equipment was requested. Although several fans moved onto the field to escape the flames, there was no immediate general concern. How many lives were claimed by the fire at the Bradford football When Liverpool fans charged a group of Juventus fans the latter were pushed toward a side perimeter wall. "I became an adult overnight at 12 and I'm still there," Fletcher says, and you wonder what's next, now that the book which has become his life's work is published. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. 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. However, the responsibility of the Club is, in my view, very much the greater and I apportion responsibility between the two defendants as to two-thirds on the first defendant and one-third on the third (sic) defendant. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". The DC Fire Department confirmed that there were at least two fires at the stadium, but firefighters put them out and no one was injured. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. Trying to climb over the wall it collapsed and 39 fans died. . 'It is the worst day in my life. The largest volume of evidence stored there relates to the Department of the Environment's Fire Research Council the body responsible for providing scientific evidence for Popplewell. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same week. [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. Hundreds of people. [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. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. Bradford was playing Lincoln City on the afternoon of May 11. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. 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. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. The theatre production moved on to London last week, its players and writers wondering as they packed up what the response would be, in the capital city, to a subject even less well known and understood beyond the Yorkshire boundaries. Fifty-six people died and more than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground on May 11th, 1985. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. The stories of escapes are legion. "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". "The players were told to go to the pub at the top of the road, we didn't know at this point if anyone had been killed. Ive never seen anything like it. And Bradford seemed happy with it: five days of testimony, a 27-page report and everyone moved on. Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. It's gone," he says. The stand itself was engulfed in seconds, almost as if petrol had been ignited throughout the block. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. [51], 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. The children were still nestled under the warden's thick overcoat when they discovered them. 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. It is a simple account laid out for all to see. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. [10] The stand seats did not have risers; this had allowed a large accumulation of rubbish and paper waste in the cavity space under the stand, which had not been cleared for many months. Within minutes flames were visible and police started to evacuate people in the stand. Multiple fires broke out Tuesday at RFK Stadium, the former home of Washington's NFL team. "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. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. 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. I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. 1985 - Bradford City football ground Around 3000 supporters were in Bradford City's main stand for the match with Lincoln City on 11th May 1985. This day was for them. Having won promotion to the Second Division as champions, Bradford City Football Club hosted Lincoln City at Valley Parade stadium for the final match of the season. [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. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. The smoke was choking. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. The director of that organisation, Dr David Woolley, was interviewed for just two hours by the inquiry team, and his private papers reveal his desperate rush to assemble information into a report for Popplewell. One survivor spoke of the horror that he witnessed. Bradford fire: The Valley Parade disaster 30 years on - BBC He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. "I feel like I've been in my 20s for years," he says and his life now south-west London flatshare, single professional seems to reflect the world of a restive soul, struggling for an anchor. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire, Radio commentator witnesses the fire break out. "When I read the Popplewell transcripts I could see they were processing 10-15 witnesses a day. . The Valley Parade fire took hold, it has always been said, because a match must have been dropped into the reservoir of rubbish in the dark cavity beneath the main stand's seats. "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". She was Hazel Greenwood the mother whose children, 13-year-old Felix and 11-year-old Rupert, had been ushered away from the flames of the stadium fire all those years ago by a traffic warden, seeking to shelter them under his tunic. It was the 11th of May 1985.The last day of the Football League Season. Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. 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". Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. The antiquated stand at Valley Parade eventually claimed the lives of 56 supporters and about 265 were injured. He and the children all perished, along with the boys' father. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. [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. "[58], 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 stand slopes downwards from the South Parade. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. 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. 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. 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 Football Stadium Fire, May 11, 1985 1985 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game The cause of the fires is being investigated. It was the worst fire disaster in the history of British football history. The team was presented with the Division Three championship trophy - their first trophy in 56 years - in front of 11,000 jubilant. [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. 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. Bradford City Stadium Fire: The Forgotten Fire Tragedy of 1985 that The media, affect, and community in a decade of disasters: reporting She was hysterical and trying to find her three children. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. 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, and Rick Wild of The Overlanders. [52], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. Some people seem to have run back up the slope, thinking that they could get back through the turnstiles, and were burned alive. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. Legislation - Sports Grounds Safety Authority One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. Bradford Football Ground Fire 1985 Neil Kinnock Labour Leader visits Bradford Fire Disaster with wife Glenys Kinnock. In the panic that ensued, fleeing crowds escaped on to the pitch but others at the back of the stand tried to break down locked exit doors to escape. Bradford City stadium fire: 'Police were to blame' for most life lost Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance . 1985-95: 2016 47: . 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. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. The incident in the antiquated stand at Valley Parade was the worst fire disaster in the history of British football. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire "All you could see was black cloud. IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. And all you could smell was burning.". "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. He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! There is still no clue as to the cause of the fire. [48], Parrs Wood Press published Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire (2005) by author Paul Firth;[49] the title refers to the estimated time it took for the stand to be completely ablaze from the first flames being spotted. [citation needed] Spectators later spoke of initially feeling their feet becoming warmer; one of them ran to the back of the stand for a fire extinguisher but found none. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. However, the fire had consumed the stand entirely by that point and they were faced with huge flames and very dense smoke. "I feel such information should be made public and people should look at those facts, then make their mind up on those facts. "[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. I had no idea. 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. The game was irrelevant. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. 1985 UGA Football Schedule | Georgia Bulldogs - SicEmDawgs.com The Bradford City Stadium Fire 1985 - The Football Inferno The Raven's Eye 55.2K subscribers Subscribe 130K views 8 months ago #Disasters #History An ancient wooden spectator stand and a. [44] 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. 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. Within minutes, though, the fire spread up the wooden roof and quickly engulfed the fans underneath. While the importance of the Bradford City stadium fire for the sport of football and disaster management are clear, its broader social and cultural significance within the city, The firemen who arrived there were met by a wall of flame and dense black smoke. [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. It is located at Gate #1 on the west side of the stadium. The . Fletcher's appearance on BBC regional news programme Look North looked like an inquisition, with playback in his headphones as he spoke from a London studio contributing to the difficulty. [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. Hundreds of people are in hospital suffering from burns. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. Bradford City were supposed to be celebrating on 11 May 1985. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Fans in the next stand (the "Bradford End") pulled down the fence separating them from the pitch. "I was out shopping in Bradford and he had gone to the match," she says. [47] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. "What kind of 'mechanism'?" "It spread like a flash. It's why he gravitated to London and the enclosed spaces, moving to Brixton when his first base became gentrified. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. [44] In total, 28 police officers and 22 supporters, who were publicly documented as having saved at least one life, later received police commendations or bravery awards. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. Five minutes before half-time a glowing light was noticed and spectators felt their feet becoming warmer. 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.
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