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The fire was described as the worst fire disaster in the history of British football, and the worst football related disaster since 66spectators died at Ibrox in 1971. The man in charge of investigating the fire, Detective Superintendent Kevin Cooper was at the game. 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. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. 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. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. 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. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. Lincoln City suffered two successive relegations, first to the Fourth Division in 1986, and again in 1987, becoming the first team to be automatically relegated from the Football League itself. 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'. More than 3,500 people were crammed into the main stand area and this prevented people from moving away from the blaze quickly. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. 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. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. Recommended The untold stories of the 1985 fire The heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. 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. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. The main stand at Bradford was not surrounded by fencing, and therefore most of the spectators in it could escape onto the pitch if they had been penned in then the death toll would inevitably have been in the hundreds if not the thousands. One family was in tears, the mother shaking. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. "How quickly the fire spread is difficult to convey to people.". 56 people dead. Owing to windy conditions, less than four minutes later the entire wooden stand was engulfed in smoke and fire. 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. 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 . "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. 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. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". 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. "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. 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 saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". 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. But all the people being treated, we formed a family, a bond.". 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. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. There was hardly anything left of him.'. [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. 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. 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. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." It was sort of the good thing to come out of the nightmare," says Simon Parker, a football reporter for the Telegraph and Argus. Footage of the accident at this point shows levels of confusion among the spectatorswhile many were trying to escape or to cross the pitch to the relative safety of the neighbouring stands, other spectators were observed cheering or waving to the still-rolling pitchside cameras. The game was irrelevant.". ", ITV football commentator John Helm, who provided live commentary of the unfolding disaster across the nation: "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. 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. 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. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. 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." "[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. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. "I feel such information should be made public and people should look at those facts, then make their mind up on those facts. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". 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. "[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. 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. Come celebrate the beastly realm and our place in it and with it, an even more radically inclusive and sustainable city and global community in 2023: ANIMALIA! The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. Parents and children were laughing and joking with the police as the preliminaries to the game began. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. 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. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. What Is Burning Man? It spelt out 'thank you fans'. "All you could see was black cloud. 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. 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. Those with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . [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. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. 'The smoke was very, very dense. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. It is impossible so far to be accurate about the precise cause of the fire, with grossly conflicting reports from witnesses. [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. 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 stand had been officially condemned and was due to be replaced with a steel structure after the season ended. [4] Football ground writer Simon Inglis had described the view from the stand as "like watching football from the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel" because of its antiquated supports and struts. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". The scene in there was one of silence and shock. [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. 05/10/15 AT 12:00 PM BST Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire Getty Images Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. They were hampered further by the fact that doors at the back of the stand were locked to try to stop people coming in without paying. Football architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to carry out the work. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. 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. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . Bradford fire: the horrors and the silence that had to be broken Daniel Taylor The policewoman assigned to the grieving Fletchers gets goosebumps when she looks back to 30 years ago. 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. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. "[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. 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. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). 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. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. Burning Man.NYC. An inquiry launched in the aftermath of the disaster led to legislation to improve safety at football grounds. 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". It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". The man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. [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. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. 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. The club's success had swollen the crowd to 10,000 and arguments will rage about fire precautions at the ground. 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. "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. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. Of the 56 people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. 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. All that was left of. We had not been told anything.". [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. Bradford City were supposed to be celebrating on 11 May 1985. 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. One, now re-situated to that end of the stand where the fire began, is a sculpture donated on the initial re-opening of Valley Parade in December 1986 by Sylvia Graucob, a then Jersey-based former West Yorkshire woman. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. I don't see that. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. 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 . It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. 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. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. 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.. It seemed to put it out. 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. 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. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. I had no idea. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. [45] In total, 28 police officers and 22 supporters, who were publicly documented as having saved at least one life, later received police commendations or bravery awards. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. 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 smoke was choking. "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. Mr Antony Burrows said: 'One man was stood near me with his hair on fire. 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. Bradford City initially prospered in the Second Division only missing out on promotion to the First Division in 1988 after failing to beat Ipswich Town at home on the final day of their first full season back at Valley Parade. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. He later died in hospital. The blaze, at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx, killed 87 people, the . Fans in the next stand (the "Bradford End") pulled down the fence separating them from the pitch. "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. 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. [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. 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 got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. "[35], The total amount of compensation to the 154 claimants was reported to be as high as 20million, with the payouts covered by insurance taken out by the club. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". When the game began there was no way out for them, except by going on to the pitch. [51] Another book; 56: The Story of the Bradford Fire (2015) was written by Martin Fletcher to discuss how the disaster was caused, and follows his loss of his father, brother, uncle and grandfather. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. Soon they were all running for their lives. 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. 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. 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'. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. 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. 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. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. 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. 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. 'This was a dreadful afternoon. "The one thing I remember at the time is we were grateful that we got an answer quickly after the inquiry. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . 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]. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. 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. 527 votes, 98 comments. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history.

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