You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. 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". 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. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund had been set up and would eventually raise over 3.5m ($5.4m). The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. 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. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. 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. "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. 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. It occurred during a league match in front of record numbers of spectators, on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. 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. England won the re-match 64. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. More than 3,500 people were crammed into the main stand area and this prevented people from moving away from the blaze quickly. "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. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. In the last few years, the BCFC kit-man John Duckworth did a sponsored 73-mile walk between Lincoln's Sincil Bank stadium and Valley Parade, joined by Bradford fans along the way. There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. 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. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. 'I have to tell you that the fire was so intense that identifying people is going to be the great problem we have to face.'. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. 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. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. There were no fire extinguishers. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. 'It is the worst day in my life. Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. "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. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters The heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. 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 . Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. 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. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. Bradford City stadium fire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire that devastated Valley Parade Thirty years after football's 'forgotten tragedy', the truth of what exactly happened when 56. The club's success had swollen the crowd to 10,000 and arguments will rage about fire precautions at the ground. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. [13], The match kicked off at 3:04pm and after forty minutes of the first half, the score remained 00,[14] in what was described as a drab affair with neither team threatening to score. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. 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]. Edited by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. And all you could smell was burning.". 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. We had not been told anything.". "It made me realise life is too short." Fifty-six people died. "[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. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. He was completely on fire and it looked as though he simply did not know what had happened to him.'. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. 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. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. 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 stories of escapes are legion. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. It was to be our day,' he said. It has a black marble fascia on which the names and ages of those that died are inscribed in gold, and a black marble platform on which people can leave flowers and mementos. At the time of the disaster, many stadiums had perimeter fencing between the stands and the pitch to prevent incidents of football hooliganism particularly pitch invasions which were rife during the 1980s. There was hardly anything left of him.'. 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. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. "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. [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. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Loading. 527 votes, 98 comments. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. 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. I had no idea. 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. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. he asks. On the recording are Dene Michael (Black Lace), The Chuckle Brothers, Clive Jackson of Dr & The Medics, Owen Paul, Billy Pearce, Billy Shears, Flint Bedrock, Danny Tetley and Rick Wild of The Overlanders. 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. "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. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. The team was presented with the Division Three championship trophy - their first trophy in 56 years - in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their match against Lincoln City. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. 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. It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. 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. [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. [2] The main stand was described as a "mammoth structure", but was unusual for its time because of its place on the side of a hill. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . And the black and twisted skeleton of the burnt stand stood out in the night. The only fire extinguishers in the ground were in the clubroom, which is also in the main stand. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". 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'. 56 dead and hundreds more injured. [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. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. However, the fire had consumed the stand entirely by that point and they were faced with huge flames and very dense smoke. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. The stand itself was engulfed in seconds, almost as if petrol had been ignited throughout the block. 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 pile of rubbish that had been building up below. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. [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. 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. 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. 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. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . All that was left of. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. The game was irrelevant.". My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. 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. The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Ironically, off-duty firemen were at the ground selling raffle tickets for a charity football match which should have been held yesterday. "[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. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. 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. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated wooden stand, which had survived because the club did not have the money to replace it, and accumulated paper litter, were considered to have conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. 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. Called 'The 56' the play dramatises actual accounts of the Bradford City Fire with the purpose of the play showing how in times of adversity, the Football Club and the local community came together. 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. 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. 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. 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). But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. [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. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. 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. "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. Bradford City Stadium Fire 56 Dead & 100's Injured The Bradford City stadium fire was a stadium disaster that occurred during an English League Third Division fixture between Bradford City and Lincoln City on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. 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?. 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. We had to run up the stairs, through the office doors and out on to the street. 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. The inquiry had found that the club had been warned that the accumulation of rubbish beneath the stands was a fire risk. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. At 3.40pm, five minutes before half-time, a glowing light was spotted three rows from the back of block G. "We were stood in line with the 18-yard, the penalty area, when we saw some smoke and a bit of fire diagonally from where we were. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. The stand slopes downwards from the South Parade. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. One family was in tears, the mother shaking. The smoke was choking. 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. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. [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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. I've never seen anything like it. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. ', 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. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. The 4-alarm fire started in a one-story lumber storage building and spread to an adjacent building . [58] Following this report, Leslie Brownlie, who was the nephew in question, is reported to have said that his uncle never made such an admission of starting the fire. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". 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. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. 'They did not have a chance. He photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. "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. Soon they were all running for their lives. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. 'The smoke was very, very dense. By this date the appeal fund set up for survivors had paid out more than 4m with further payouts expected as the effects of physical and mental injury were determined. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. 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. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. 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'. 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. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. The Popplewell Inquiry found that a discarded cigarette and an accumulation of litter beneath the stand were to blame. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. "It is the little things that show how much people are still involved the fire still has a big impact on people. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. 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. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. ", "If the inquiry is opened again, we will await to see what evidence there is to prove is wasn't an accident," he says. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the penultimate night of Burning Man, which is the Saturday evening before Labor Day. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. "[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'.
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