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This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. [32] Speaking at the close of the case, the Judge said "They (the club) were at fault, no one in authority seemed to have appreciated the fire hazard. Bradford fire 11.5.1985.mpg - video Dailymotion "[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. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). [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. 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. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. 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. Bradford City stadium fire: BBC documentary says Aussie man to blame The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. 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. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. The man in charge of investigating the fire, Detective Superintendent Kevin Cooper was at the game. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. [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. 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. 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. It was an awful thing to watch.". Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. We didn't know how serious it was.". Among the main outcomes of the inquiry were the banning of new wooden grandstands at all UK sports grounds, the immediate closure of other wooden stands deemed unsafe and the banning of smoking in other wooden stands. Ironically, off-duty firemen were at the ground selling raffle tickets for a charity football match which should have been held yesterday. "We stayed in the pub for hours. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. And all you could smell was burning.". Witnesses of the fire have come to terms with the tragedy in different ways. A new book, written by Valley Parade survivor Martin Fletcher, claims then-Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham had previously netted millions of pounds from insurance payouts after at least eight previous fires at businesses he was associated with. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. 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. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. "[16] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. 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. Bradford City stadium fire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire 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. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. 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. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. On 11 May 1985 a blaze ripped through Bradford City stadium's wooden structure in minutes as the club played Lincoln City in an end of season match. ", "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 stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. 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. 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. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. People were falling on to each other and screaming. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bradford City fire: Police reveal who was responsible for 1985 Valley "I looked up and saw the flames. "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Today, locals continue to raise money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in memory of the victims of the fire. Bradford City stadium fire. A football match in Bradford UK ends Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. The match, Bradford against Lincoln, was to have been a joyous climax to the club winning the Third Division championship and being promoted to the Second Division. [30], The outcome of the test case resulted in over 154 claims being addressed (110 civilians and 44 police officers)[31] by the injured or bereaved. When the game began there was no way out for them, except by going on to the pitch. After 40 minutes of the first half, fans had begun to complain about the drab match and the 0-0 score. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. 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'. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. "[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]. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. "We couldn't help because there were so many people streaming towards us, to our side of the pitch, to get away from the heat. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. [5] However, he also warned the club of a build-up of litter beneath the stand because of a gap between the seats. 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. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. The Great Fire of London, 1212 | Sky HISTORY TV Channel The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze 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'. 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. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. England won the re-match 64. Burning Man.NYC. "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". The extinguishers were put there so that they would be out of the way of fans who could use them as missiles, which apparently had happened previously. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. For the 30th anniversary of the fire a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was recorded at Voltage Studios in Bradford. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. According to ABC News, though, several hundred people in the Chinese city of Luoyang decided to cut loose on Christmas night 2000 by heading to a nightclub housed on the fourth floor of a multi-use industrial building.A fire broke out in the basement of the structure . She was an. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". It detailed the safety work which would be carried out at Valley Parade as a result of the club's promotion, admitting the ground was "inadequate in so many ways for modern requirements". My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. Bradford City Stadium Fire - Saturday 11th May 1985 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. "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. Bradford fire: the horrors and the silence that had to be broken [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 were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. 56 dead and hundreds more injured. The man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. "[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. All Rights Reserved. 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. Nigel Adams who worked for 12 years as a fire investigator with a British fire service was spurred on by the book to join the call for a fresh inquiry, stating that Fletcher's book was "one of the best accounts of a fire, as seen from a victim's point of view, and as a piece of investigative writing, I have ever read". [38], The tragedy received immense media attention and drew support from around the world, with those offering their sympathy including Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. It was appalling that public money was given to the club while it was still owned by the same shareholders under whose direction the fire had happened. That's when everybody else had the same thought. [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. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. Bradford fire: The Valley Parade disaster 30 years on "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." 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. Some days I had two operations in a day. The fire happened during a football match. The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund had been set up and would eventually raise over 3.5m ($5.4m). 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. 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. "The one thing I remember at the time is we were grateful that we got an answer quickly after the inquiry. 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.