', 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. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. ", 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. [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. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. 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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. The smoke was choking. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. [53], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. We were given the trophy before the game in front of the supporters and had to do a lap of honour. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. 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. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. 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. Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". [10] One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. [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. [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. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. 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. The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. 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. 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. [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. Fifty-six people died. Part of the Appeal funds were raised by a recording of "You'll Never Walk Alone"[42] from Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Carousel by The Crowd (including Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who had recorded the 1963 version that led to Liverpool adopting it as their motto and team song), which reached number one in the UK Singles chart. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. Surviving supporters, former Bradford players, the sole television commentator at the stadium and the judge who led the government inquiry tell the BBC about that fateful afternoon and its aftermath. I dread to imagine how many more could have died if the wind had been blowing in the direction of the pitch, instead of away from it. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. The game was irrelevant.". 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. [39], The club's chairman, Stafford Heginbotham, said: "It was to be our day". 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. What Is Burning Man? This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. "All you could see was black cloud. "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. 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. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. 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. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. 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. [7] As it was the first piece of league silverware that the club had captured since they won the Division Three (North) title 56years earlier, 11,076supporters were in the ground. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. The inquiry had found that the club had been warned that the accumulation of rubbish beneath the stands was a fire risk. "I feel such information should be made public and people should look at those facts, then make their mind up on those facts. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. As we move ahead on the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, sustainability projects are taking center stage. Speculation an Australian man started the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. Loading. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. "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.". Now they will begin another inquiry, into the cause of the Bradford fire. 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. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. 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.
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