Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. [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. 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. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. Some of the dead were found at the bottom of these steps. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. The smoke was choking. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". 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. 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. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. 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. She was hysterical and trying to find her three children. It was an awful thing to watch.". One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. he asks. The blaze is believed to have begun when a dropped cigarette lit rubbish under the wooden seats of the wooden Main Stand at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. "A lot of investigative work had been done by the police when I got there. 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]. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. 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. 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. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. [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. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. [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. "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. About 3,000 people were in Valley Parade's main stand, escaping by climbing over walls on to the pitch or through the usual exit gates. 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! We didn't know how serious it was.". One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. 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). 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. Original television coverage of the fire, as caught by cameras covering the match. 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. "[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. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. She was an. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. [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. "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. [citation needed] Spectators later spoke of initially feeling their feet becoming warmer; one of them ran to the back of the stand for a fire extinguisher but found none. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . The match, Bradford against Lincoln, was to have been a joyous climax to the club winning the Third Division championship and being promoted to the Second Division. [36], In 2010, Susan Fletcher's son and survivor of the Bradford City fire (and witness to the Hillsborough disaster), Martin Fletcher, openly criticised the club's hierarchy at the time of the fire and the subsequent investigation. There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. Led by former England international Trevor Cherry, the Bantams won only their third divisional title and earned a return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1937. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. Most recognizably, tens of thousands of Burners gather annually to build Black Rock City, a participative temporary metropolis . Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." More than 250 others were injured in one of the. All Rights Reserved. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Television cameras spotted the outbreak of fire in Valley Parade's main stand at 15:40 BST. [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. "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. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. 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. "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez. 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. "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. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. 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. He later died in hospital. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". 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]. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. "[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. "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". "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. "I looked up and saw the flames. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. ', 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. 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. "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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. '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.'. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . On 11 May 1985 a fire erupted in the midst of a third-division tie between Bradford City and Lincoln City at Valley Parade, killing 54 home supporters and two Lincoln fans. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. 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'. I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. 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. Parents and children were laughing and joking with the police as the preliminaries to the game began. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan,[18] as did player John Hawley,[15] and one officer led fans to an exit, only to find it shut and had to turn around. Bradford fan Matthew Wildman, who was aged 17 and using crutches because of rheumatoid arthritis: "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold. Those with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . The smoke was choking. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire, Bradford City fans pay tribute to the 56 fans who died the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985, The blaze causing the deaths of 56 supporters in one of the worst incidents in British football, Bradford artist Paul Town was inspired to paint after surviving the Valley Parade fire, Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, New book claims fatal 1985 Bradford City Valley Parade fire might have been started deliberately, Bradford City chairman 'linked to eight fires' before Valley Parade stadium disaster, Bradford City 0-0 Reading: Bantams hold Royals in quarter-final stalemate, David Alaba receives massive abuse for voting for Lionel Messi in The Best awards, Glazers' demands set to delay Manchester United takeover: reports, Man Utd beat West Ham to reach FA Cup quarters as Spurs crash out, Bahrain GP: F1 team rankings ahead of 2023 season-opener, Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Xavi admits Los Blancos still favourites to advance. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). 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. 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. I saw a group of people around the smoke laughing. Edited by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. 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. The stand itself was engulfed in seconds, almost as if petrol had been ignited throughout the block.