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. 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. 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. 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. List of building or structure fires - Wikipedia 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. 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?. People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. 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. [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. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. He went on to state: "In 1985 fire investigation in Britain was in its infancy and some would say at that time most fire investigators were not much more than dust-kickers. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". BBC News - Bradford fire 'will live with me forever' Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. [53], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. "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. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. The man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. "[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. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. 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. [52], On 1 May 2010, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fire the football TV show Football Focus was hosted from Valley Parade by Dan Walker, the show included interviews with Terry Yorath and John Hendrie. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. [5] However, he also warned the club of a build-up of litter beneath the stand because of a gap between the seats. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. The stories of escapes are legion. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". 527 votes, 98 comments. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. "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. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. 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. "Some of the local residents opened their houses so people could make phone calls. Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium - HISTORY [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. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. He was actually one of the detectives involved in one of the gravest miscarriages of justices in the country, the murder of Carol Wilkinson in Bradford, where someone was locked up for 20 years for a murder he didn't commit."[60]. Brooklyn fire: Lumber storage warehouse in Williamsburg goes up in 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". I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. I had no idea. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. Helm later described the start of the fire in an interview to the Express newspaper: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, [A] man over from Australia visiting his son got two tickets to the game. Lincoln City's board responded by committing 1.1million (3.5million today) to their ground's renovation in the year that immediately followed the fire at Valley Parade, and over the following decade made improvements that eventually totalled 3million. He started to walk home, unsure of what had happened to his father. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. [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. Popplewell's report was nowhere close to the quality of Lord Justice Taylor's report after Hillsborough, and since reading it as an adult I have always been very disappointed in it and considered it a poor piece of work. However as the game against Lincoln progressed, a fire began just before half-time in the stand that ran alongside the pitch. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. 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. [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. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. This day was for them. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. [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. 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. [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. Bradford City Stadium Fire - 36 years ago today | RedCafe.net A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. Burning Man NYC Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. We sat in the main stand the week before, but we had decided to move on that day," he says. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. "The letters that went to the club, the council's failings, the police's failings, even as supporters we allowed a culture where the gates were locked. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. "[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. "[16] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. Bradford City Stadium Fire: The Forgotten Fire Tragedy of 1985 that [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. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. 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 claimed young and old alike, with most fatalities occurring at the rear of the stand where people sought escape only to find turnstiles locked. Witnesses of the fire have come to terms with the tragedy in different ways. Burning Man.NYC. 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). 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. 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. [49], Parrs Wood Press published Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire (2005) by author Paul Firth;[50] the title refers to the estimated time it took for the stand to be completely ablaze from the first flames being spotted. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. So I decided to give it that next push. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. Like you, we're already preparing for Black Rock City to rise again. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. 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. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". Pendleton: "I got pushed down to the front and I remember looking around and suddenly this smouldering, small fire had taken over virtually half a block and was starting to hit the roof. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices It took the firemen four minutes to arrive at the ground but the speed of the fire was such that the blaze also took only four minutes to grip the entire stand. All that was left of. "Since then I have thought of everything we could have done, but we didn't have the presence of mind to run across the pitch and tell people to get out. 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. 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. Burning Man - Wikipedia We had not been told anything.". A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. 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." "I was supposed to meet my father at my grandfather's house, but I was a bit late so I went straight to the game so I didn't miss the festivities.". 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. "A lot of investigative work had been done by the police when I got there. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. 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. Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985 | Fire Brigades Union 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. The Documentary highlighted the 'poison pen letters' and graffiti targeted at the then club chairman Stafford Heginbotham over accusations that he was in some way personally responsible for the deaths of the 56 people who died at the fire.[54]. "I remember not being able to watch it, but we couldn't get out. 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'. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. Bradford fire: The Valley Parade disaster 30 years onThe 1985 Bradford City Stadium fire remembered - IFSEC Global At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". Burning timber and molten material began to fall onto the seating below and black smoke enveloped the passageway behind, where fans were trying to escape. Bradford City fire was started by a tourist who dropped a cigarette "[37], Fletcher subsequently published a book in 2015, Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire which revealed a history of fires at businesses owned by the Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham. Christopher Hammond, who was 12 on the day, said on the 20th anniversary of the fire: "As a 12-year-old, it was easy to move on I didn't realise how serious it was until I looked at the press coverage over the next few days. 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. And all you could smell was burning.". The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. 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]. 'It is the worst day in my life. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. It is not thought that there was any crowd trouble in this section but one theory the police are investigating is that a flare or smoke-bomb was thrown or was accidentally dropped. 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. '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.'.