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. 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. Owing to windy conditions, less than four minutes later the entire wooden stand was engulfed in smoke and fire. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. Edited by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. And all you could smell was burning.". Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. Guided by the values expressed by the 10 Principles, Burning Man is a global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world. Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. 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. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. 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. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . [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. [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. The blaze, at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx, killed 87 people, the . I had no idea. [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. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. [15] They included three who tried to escape through the toilets, 27 who were found by exit K and turnstiles 6 to 9 at the rear centre of the stand, and two elderly people who had died in their seats. "The 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. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden bench consumed the entire stand in under four minutes.Original TV footage: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x31qcmtIf you would like to support this channel - https://buymeacoffee.com/TheRavensEyeAlthough focused primarily on disasters, this channel is all about the interesting, the strange, the unsolved, the tragic. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. "A lot of investigative work had been done by the police when I got there. You could hardly breathe. Uncensored coverage of the fire was transmitted minutes after the event on World of Sport and the BBC's Grandstand after the video cassette was physically driven to Yorkshire Television. "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. We had not been told anything.". 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. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. Like you, we're already preparing for Black Rock City to rise again. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Forty-two minutes into the first half of the game, he looked to his left to see smoke and flames rising from the old wooden seats. The inquiry had found that the club had been warned that the accumulation of rubbish beneath the stands was a fire risk. 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. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices [15], At 3:44pm, five minutes before half-time, the first sign of a firea glowing lightwas noticed three rows from the back of block G,[10][16] as reported by television commentator John Helm. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. The Popplewell Inquiry found that a discarded cigarette and an accumulation of litter beneath the stand were to blame. It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. "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. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. 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. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. [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. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters 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. "It is the little things that show how much people are still involved the fire still has a big impact on people. All you could hear was sirens and screams. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. I don't see that. 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 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. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. 'The smoke was very, very dense. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. "It is hard to imagine how Martin and his mother have managed to cope over the last 30 years and we have always respected him," Harrison says. "Me and my dad eventually got out safely but it was a bit of a struggle at one point because the walls getting down to the pitch level were quite high I didn't get a growth spurt until I was 16 or 17.". She was an. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. He later died in hospital. 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. Smoke was seen coming from the third row in the section but people are apparently used to seeing smoke flares on the Bradford ground. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It slipped through a hole in the floorboard. "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. [8][9] In the crowd were local dignitaries and guests from three of Bradford's twin townsVerviers in Belgium, and Mnchengladbach and Hamm in West Germany. 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. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. 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. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. As a result, Bradford-born captain Peter Jackson was presented with the league trophy before the final game of the season with mid-table Lincoln City at Valley Parade on 11 May 1985. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. Eight fires in the 18 years before the Bradford City fire were identified, many catastrophic and leading to large insurance payouts. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. 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. Fire on Upper Castle Street, Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post On This Day 1985: The Bradford City Fire 0:15 Bradford Mill fire 24:43 The Bradford Fire 0:26 Large fire in Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post Bradford Mill fire 0:34 Bradford Great Horton Mill fire 0:10 Fire at Bradford school (video: Glynn Beck) 4:05 bradford city fc fire 1985 "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.
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