Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. Now they will begin another inquiry, into the cause of the Bradford fire. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. 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 fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. It was an awful thing to watch.". An inquiry launched in the aftermath of the disaster led to legislation to improve safety at football grounds. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. "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. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . Fletcher said that "The club at the time took no actual responsibility for its actions and nobody has ever really been held accountable for the level of negligence which took place. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. 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. The fact the inquiry also embraced the investigation into another incident which happened on the same day, a riot in which a young boy died at Birmingham City, makes it seem more frivolous. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices We had to run up the stairs, through the office doors and out on to the street. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. The blaze, at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx, killed 87 people, the . Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. 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. All Rights Reserved. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. A giant Christian cross, made up of two large charred wooden members[44] that had once been part of the stand, was constructed in front of the middle of the stand and behind the pitchside speaker's platform. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. Eight fires in the 18 years before the Bradford City fire were identified, many catastrophic and leading to large insurance payouts. "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. We had not been told anything.". Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. 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. 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. 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. Recommended The untold stories of the 1985 fire ', 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. "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. "That was the legacy of the tragedy. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. [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. By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. The flames suddenly appeared and the whole roof took alight,' he said. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". 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. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. 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. 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 "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. Fifty-six people died. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. "It wasn't covering anything up, it wasn't avoiding the truth of what happened, everyone knows what happened, everyone knows it shouldn't have happened. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. The stand slopes downwards from the South Parade. The smoke was choking. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground. There were no fire extinguishers. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by 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'. 'This was a dreadful afternoon. The fundraising events included a reunion of the 1966 World Cup Final Starting XI that began with the original starting teams of both England and West Germany, and was held at Leeds United's stadium, Elland Road, in July 1985 to raise funds for the Appeal fund. 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. [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 Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. 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. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. It was unprecedented.". He photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. "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 stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. 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. More than 200 people were taken to hospital, many with terrible injuries. People were clambering over the wall on to the ground with their clothes and hair on fire. Following the hearing in 1986, a test case was brought against the club by David Britton, a police sergeant serving on the day, and by Susan Fletcher, who lost her husband John, 11-year-old son Andrew, John's brother Peter and his father Edmond in the fire. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. "It made me realise life is too short." Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. 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. One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. "Since then I have thought of everything we could have done, but we didn't have the presence of mind to run across the pitch and tell people to get out. However as the game against Lincoln progressed, a fire began just before half-time in the stand that ran alongside the pitch. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". [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 saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". The smoke was choking. 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". 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'. Wildman: "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. "[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]. Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. [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. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. [30], The outcome of the test case resulted in over 154 claims being addressed (110 civilians and 44 police officers)[31] by the injured or bereaved. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. [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.
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