Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. Bradford fan Matthew Wildman, who was aged 17 and using crutches because of rheumatoid arthritis: "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. "[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'. "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. "It is hard to imagine how Martin and his mother have managed to cope over the last 30 years and we have always respected him," Harrison says. 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. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. The smoke was choking. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". "It made me realise life is too short." "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. 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. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. 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. [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. The heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. [46], In 2014, the theatre company Funny You Should Ask (FYSA) premiered their heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died at the fire. 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? 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. Although some attributed Lincoln City's sudden demise to the psychological effects of the fire on its players (together with the resignation of successful manager Colin Murphy shortly before the fire), it symbolised the wider crisis that the introduction of new safety legislation brought to Lincoln's Sincil Bank home. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. Warnings had been issued over the ground's antiquated wooden structure, which had been condemned and was due to be pulled down and replaced with steel and concrete. [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. 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. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. Fletcher, who was 12 at the time of the fire, does not make any direct allegations but he does believe Heginbotham's history with fires resulting in payouts of around 27m in today's terms warrants further investigation. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. The blaze, at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx, killed 87 people, the . 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. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. All Rights Reserved. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. [56], On 17 April 2015, retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer, in a report by the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, said the police were aware of an Australian man who admitted to starting the fire. 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. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Those who rescued people were themselves burned in the process. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. ", Popplewell: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". 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'. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. 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. 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. [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. The fire claimed young and old alike, with most fatalities occurring at the rear of the stand where people sought escape only to find turnstiles locked. The heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. 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. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". We sat in the main stand the week before, but we had decided to move on that day," he says. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. People were clambering over the wall on to the ground with their clothes and hair on fire. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. 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. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. [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. Owing to windy conditions, less than four minutes later the entire wooden stand was engulfed in smoke and fire. Read about our approach to external linking. All you could hear was sirens and screams. "[16] As spectators began to cascade over the wall separating the stand from the pitch, the linesman on that side of the pitch informed referee Norman Glover, who stopped the game with three minutes remaining before half-time. "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". For the 30th anniversary of the fire a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was recorded at Voltage Studios in Bradford. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. [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. 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. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. We didn't know how serious it was.". A capacity 6,000 crowd attended a multi-denominational memorial service, held on the pitch in the sunny shadow of the burnt out stand at Valley Parade in July 1985. 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. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". What Is Burning Man? His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . "That was the legacy of the tragedy. 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. [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. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. But all the people being treated, we formed a family, a bond.". "All you could see was black cloud. He later died in hospital. [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. A call was made on a police radio to the police operations room in Bradford and relayed to the fire brigade at 3.43 pm. The two sides met for the first time after the fire in April 1989, when they arranged a benefit match in aid of the Hillsborough disaster, at Valley Parade. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. 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. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. 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. 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. The stories of escapes are legion. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . 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. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. "[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. [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. 'This was a dreadful afternoon. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. Martin Fletcher was talking to BBC Look North. "It wasn't covering anything up, it wasn't avoiding the truth of what happened, everyone knows what happened, everyone knows it shouldn't have happened. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Many who had walked out of the fire stood on the pitch looking back in horror as the flames destroyed the stand. [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. On 23 February 1987, Sir Joseph Cantley found the club two thirds responsible and the county council (which by this time had been abolished) one third responsible. [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, Mr Colin Sampson, said yesterday that a team of doctors and pathologists had worked throughout the night trying to identify the dead. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. [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. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. 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." I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . The timber construction of St. Andrew's Stand, Main Stand and the roof of its popular Railway End terrace were immediately condemned as fire hazards, which saw seating capacity briefly cut to nil. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". Smoke was seen coming from the third row in the section but people are apparently used to seeing smoke flares on the Bradford ground. Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. "[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. There were no fire extinguishers. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. The stand had been officially condemned and was due to be replaced with a steel structure after the season ended. Superintendent Barry Osborne, divisional commander for the football club area, who was injured in the fire said that many policemen cried when they saw how badly people had been burned. 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. She was an. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. 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. No fire extinguishers had been installed over fears of vandalism and less than four minutes after the fire was reported, the fire had engulfed the whole stand. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. "[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. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. He was completely on fire and it looked as though he simply did not know what had happened to him.'. As we move ahead on the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, sustainability projects are taking center stage. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) - YouTube Sign in to confirm your age 0:00 / 5:23 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users.. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. It seemed to put it out. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. England won the re-match 64. Mr Antony Burrows said: 'One man was stood near me with his hair on fire. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. But I've never spoken to anyone who thought the fire wasn't anything other than a tragic accident. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, 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. 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?. 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. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. The main stand at Valley Parade burned down after what was thought to be a dropped cigarette led to flames which engulfed the entire wooden structure. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. Martin Fletcher, whose brother, father, grandfather and uncle all died in the fire: "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. Soon they were all running for their lives. Pendleton: "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 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. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. 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. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. "[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]. "How quickly the fire spread is difficult to convey to people.". We wanted to record the trophy presentation. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. "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. [53], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. The plastic surgeon who treated the injuries of over 200, Professor David Sharpe, went on to set up a world-renowned burns research facility at the University of Bradford. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. We had not been told anything.". Parents and children were laughing and joking with the police as the preliminaries to the game began. "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. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. 'They did not have a chance. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. The book also raises concerns about the speed of the inquiry and the fact that it commenced a few weeks after the fire and lasted for only a few days, whereas other inquiries into similar incidents, pre and post the Bradford fire, have taken years to come to fruition and months to be heard. People were falling on to each other and screaming. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. 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 . Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. 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. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. "As well as those who lost their lives or were injured, there are the relatives and friends, the others who were at the game, and those who would normally have gone to the match but decided not to that day. Edited by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. Pendleton: "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. [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. "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. 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.