(2015), 2003 Football League Third Division play-off final, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bradford_City_stadium_fire&oldid=1141323458, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Articles needing additional references from May 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from December 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Fan attempted to extinguish a lit cigarette, it slipped through floorboards and fell on rubbish, igniting it. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. The fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium in which 56 people died and more than 270 were injured is remembered 25 years on. 48,785 Location Lake Jonathan Creek The footage never gets any less shocking. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. "[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. 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.. 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. 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 . The scene in there was one of silence and shock. "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. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. More than 200 people were taken to hospital, many with terrible injuries. And all you could smell was burning.". However, the turnstiles were locked and none of the stadium staff were present to unlock them, leaving no escape through the normal entrances and exits. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the fire. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. Twenty nine years ago on this date, 56 people tragically died when a fire erupted at Bradford City's Valley Parade ground The day was supposed to be one of celebration for Bradford who had just won the Third Division trophy. All you could hear was sirens and screams. 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. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. 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. Like you, we're already preparing for Black Rock City to rise again. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. BBC Sport looks back at the Bradford City fire disaster that claimed the lives of 56 spectators when a stand became engulfed in flames on 11 May 1985. The stories of escapes are legion. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. [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 wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". 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. Fletcher has taken facts and presented them in such a way that it should make it moralistically impossible for this incident not to be looked at again. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. So I decided to give it that next push. 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. I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. [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. It was an awful thing to watch.". Hendrie: "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. ', 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. [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. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. When the game began there was no way out for them, except by going on to the pitch. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. 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. 56 people dead. 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. "The one thing I remember at the time is we were grateful that we got an answer quickly after the inquiry. 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. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. The game was irrelevant.". People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. Of the 56 people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan, as did player John Hawley, and one officer led fans to an exit, only to find it shut and turn around.Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand, ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. 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. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. 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. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . 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. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. [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. "It is the little things that show how much people are still involved the fire still has a big impact on people. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. 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. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. 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. All that was left of the main stand were rows of bare steel and stone, with blackened timbers hanging from the few remaining roof supports. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Soon they were all running for their lives. The inquiry into the disaster, chaired by Sir Oliver Popplewell and known as the Popplewell Inquiry,[25] led to the introduction of new legislation to improve safety at the UK's football grounds. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. 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. 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. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. Luckily, his father arrived home shortly after he did, but 30 years on, he still remembers the young woman who served him a Mars Bar and his father a coffee, who never made it out of the stadium. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. 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. We had not been told anything.". "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. 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. England won the re-match 64. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. "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. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). Martin Fletcher was talking to BBC Look North. 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. 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. The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. We went over to the policeman stood at the corner flag and asked if it was being sorted out, and he said it was under control," Harrison says. This day was for them. "[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. 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. "We stayed in the pub for hours. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. [8], The Bradford City matchday squad of players and staff consisted of Terry Yorath, Trevor Cherry, Chris Withe, Don Goodman, Eric McManus, Tony Clegg, John Hawley, Dave Evans, Bryan Edwards, John Hendrie, Mark Ellis, Stuart McCall, Peter Jackson, Bobby Campbell, Martin Singleton and Greg Abbott. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. 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. 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. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. 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. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. "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. Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. The other, situated by the main entrance, was donated by the club after its 7.5million (13million today) rebuilding of the original main stand in 2002. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. 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). We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. 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. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. One family was in tears, the mother shaking. 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 . Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. 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. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. An inquiry launched in the aftermath of the disaster led to legislation to improve safety at football grounds. Burning timbers and molten materials fell from the roof onto the crowd and seating below, and dense black smoke enveloped a passageway behind the stand, where many spectators were trying to escape. One letter from the council said the problems "should be rectified as soon as possible"; a second said: "A carelessly discarded cigarette could give rise to a fire risk." 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. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. We had not been told anything.". That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". 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. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. [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. 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]. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. 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 heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. And the black and twisted skeleton of the burnt stand stood out in the night. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". 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. The money raised from this record was contributed to fund the internationally renowned burns unit that was established in partnership between the University of Bradford and Bradford Royal Infirmary, immediately after the fire, which has also been Bradford City's official charity for well over a decade. He later died in hospital. [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. More than 3,500 people were crammed into the main stand area and this prevented people from moving away from the blaze quickly. 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. People were falling on to each other and screaming. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. 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. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. The firemen who arrived there were met by a wall of flame and dense black smoke. [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. 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. [26], In July 1985, an inquest was held into the deaths; at the hearings the coroner James Turnbull recommended a death by misadventure outcome, with which the jury agreed. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. ", Hendrie: "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. 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. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." 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. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. Those with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. 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. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. The fire happened during a football match. [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 blaze is believed to have begun when a dropped cigarette lit rubbish under the wooden seats of the wooden Main Stand at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. They were at fault, but the fault was that no-one in authority seems ever to have properly appreciated the real gravity of this fire hazard and consequently no-one gave it the attention it certainly ought to have received. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. After 40 minutes of the first half, fans had begun to complain about the drab match and the 0-0 score. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd.
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