[14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. [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. His father Tony went back the following day and said: "I wondered how anybody had got out alive, but I also began to feel guilty that I had got out when so many hadn't." All Rights Reserved. England won the re-match 64. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. [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. "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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. The book also raises concerns about the speed of the inquiry and the fact that it commenced a few weeks after the fire and lasted for only a few days, whereas other inquiries into similar incidents, pre and post the Bradford fire, have taken years to come to fruition and months to be heard. 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. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. The game was irrelevant. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. "A lot of investigative work had been done by the police when I got there. 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. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Witnesses of the fire have come to terms with the tragedy in different ways. 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. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. Fifty-six people died. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. 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. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. [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. Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. Some days I had two operations in a day. "[23], On the 25th anniversary of the fire, the University of Bradford established the United Kingdom's largest academic research centre in skin sciences as an extension to its plastic surgery and burns research unit.[24]. 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. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. 527 votes, 98 comments. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. 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?. Each year Lincoln send representatives to the annual memorial service in Bradford city centre and between 2007 and 2009, were managed by Bradford's captain that day, Peter Jackson. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. [46], In 2014, the theatre company Funny You Should Ask (FYSA) premiered their heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died at the fire. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. 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. [5] However, he also warned the club of a build-up of litter beneath the stand because of a gap between the seats. Copyright , Fire Brigades Union, 2023. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. 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. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. It was sort of the good thing to come out of the nightmare," says Simon Parker, a football reporter for the Telegraph and Argus. "All you could see was black cloud. 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. 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. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. [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 in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. 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. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. "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. At the time, however, Harrison says, Bradford just wanted to move on. 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. [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. "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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. Bradford City stadium fire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire that devastated Valley Parade Thirty years after football's 'forgotten tragedy', the truth of what exactly happened when 56. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . 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. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. He was completely on fire and it looked as though he simply did not know what had happened to him.'. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. Although there was no perimeter fencing, such as led to the devastating crush at Hillsborough, locked turnstiles meant that many fans who tried to escape by that means were killed or seriously injured. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. We didn't know how serious it was.". I had no idea. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. 'It is the worst day in my life. 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! Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. 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. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. '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.'. [11], The disaster also had a long-lasting effect on the fans. "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. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. "[59], Raymond Falconer's reliability had previously been questioned by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian who stated that: "The Bradford Telegraph and Argus described him as a 'top detective'. [citation needed] Mathew Wildman, aged 17 at the time of the fire, commented that "I must have had five different experiments carried out on me with all sorts of new techniques for skin grafts and I had potions injected into me that helped my face repair naturally over time. 56 people dead. Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. 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. However, the responsibility of the Club is, in my view, very much the greater and I apportion responsibility between the two defendants as to two-thirds on the first defendant and one-third on the third (sic) defendant. He started to walk home, unsure of what had happened to his father. > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. At 3.40pm, television commentator John Helm remarked upon a small fire in the main stand; in less than four minutes, with the windy conditions, the fire had engulfed the whole stand, trapping some people in their seats. 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). (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. 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. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. 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. 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. It is impossible so far to be accurate about the precise cause of the fire, with grossly conflicting reports from witnesses. Those who rescued people were themselves burned in the process. Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. "[33], Central to the test case were two letters sent to Bradford City's Club Secretary by the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade; the second letter dated 18 July 1984 specifically highlighted in full the improvements needed to be actioned at the ground as well as the fire risk at the main stand. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". "We stayed in the pub for hours. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. But I've never spoken to anyone who thought the fire wasn't anything other than a tragic accident. 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 chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. 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. 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. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. [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. Speculation an Australian man started the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. The main stand at Valley Parade burned down after what was thought to be a dropped cigarette led to flames which engulfed the entire wooden structure. 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. Parents and children were laughing and joking with the police as the preliminaries to the game began. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. The heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. 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. The man in charge of investigating the fire, Detective Superintendent Kevin Cooper was at the game. "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. Treatment of casualties and Burns Research Unit, Dramatisations, documentaries and published works, West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of accidents and disasters by death toll, List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll, "Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day", "Caught in Time: Bradford City win the Third Division, 1985", "EXCLUSIVE: Bradford's Valley Parade fire must be remembered like Hillsborough", "History of The Bradford Sling The Bradford Sling", "Bradford City football stadium blaze surgeon honoured", "Research centre to be living memorial to Bradford City FC fire disaster", "The Papers of the Popplewell Inquiry into Crowd Safety at Sports Grounds", "Popplewell Inquiry Bradford City Fire", "Bradford remembered: The unheeded warnings that led to tragedy", Joseph Canley summing up statement from test case court transcripts, Newspaper report from Sport and the Law April 21st 1989, "The Glasgow Herald Google News Archive Search", Los Angeles Times report on Bradford City test case findings, Court transcript from the test case brought by Susan Fletcher and Others against Bradford City and Others, "Bradford fire survivor attacks judge over Hillsborough comments", "The Story of the Bradford Fire: 'could any man really be as unlucky as Stafford Heginbotham? Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. "I want the truth to be out, the myths to be broken, so that I can get on with my life rather than knowing this information and having to live with this information. The flames suddenly appeared and the whole roof took alight,' he said. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. 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. The stand had been officially condemned and was due to be replaced with a steel structure after the season ended. "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. Bradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21 and stood in the main stand: "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. We couldn't breathe. 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. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". "Some of the local residents opened their houses so people could make phone calls. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. It was unprecedented.". Now they will begin another inquiry, into the cause of the Bradford fire. Loading. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. [32] Speaking at the close of the case, the Judge said "They (the club) were at fault, no one in authority seemed to have appreciated the fire hazard. Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. The club's success had swollen the crowd to 10,000 and arguments will rage about fire precautions at the ground. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. [39], The club's chairman, Stafford Heginbotham, said: "It was to be our day". [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. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. "[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. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. 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 .