Part of the service was also held in Urdu and Punjabi as a sign of appreciation to the local ethnically Asian Subcontinental community in Manningham, Bradford and around Valley Parade who had opened their homes to Bradford City supporters to provide assistance in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. 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. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Bradford fire: the horrors and the silence that had to be broken There was hardly anything left of him.'. ", There has always been a close bond between the club and its supporters since the fire, he adds. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). The stories of escapes are legion. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. The man in charge of investigating the fire, Detective Superintendent Kevin Cooper was at the game. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. 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. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. We had not been told anything.". 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. Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands bore witness to the worst fire disaster in the history of English football. "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. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. [52], On 1 May 2010, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fire the football TV show Football Focus was hosted from Valley Parade by Dan Walker, the show included interviews with Terry Yorath and John Hendrie. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. So I decided to give it that next push. 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. 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. [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. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. "[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. All you could hear was sirens and screams. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. 'The smoke was very, very dense. The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire [39], The club's chairman, Stafford Heginbotham, said: "It was to be our day". [8], The Bradford City matchday squad of players and staff consisted of Terry Yorath, Trevor Cherry, Chris Withe, Don Goodman, Eric McManus, Tony Clegg, John Hawley, Dave Evans, Bryan Edwards, John Hendrie, Mark Ellis, Stuart McCall, Peter Jackson, Bobby Campbell, Martin Singleton and Greg Abbott. Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. 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. he asks. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. "[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. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. "That was the moment that I realised not everybody was going to get out. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. It was an awful thing to watch.". "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 photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. "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. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. 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. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. 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. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. Bradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. I had no idea. [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. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. It is a simple account laid out for all to see. 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'. 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. 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. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. The Great Fire of London, 1212 | Sky HISTORY TV Channel 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. "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". According to ABC News, though, several hundred people in the Chinese city of Luoyang decided to cut loose on Christmas night 2000 by heading to a nightclub housed on the fourth floor of a multi-use industrial building.A fire broke out in the basement of the structure . For the 30th anniversary of the fire a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was recorded at Voltage Studios in Bradford. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. 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. 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. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. 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. 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. [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. Pendleton: "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. Bradford City fire: Police reveal who was responsible for 1985 Valley [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 4-alarm fire started in a one-story lumber storage building and spread to an adjacent building . [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. The 1985 Bradford City Football Stadium Fire What Happened and Why 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." He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". Burning timber and molten material began to fall onto the seating below and black smoke enveloped the passageway behind, where fans were trying to escape. "The letters that went to the club, the council's failings, the police's failings, even as supporters we allowed a culture where the gates were locked. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. Fire on Upper Castle Street, Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post On This Day 1985: The Bradford City Fire 0:15 Bradford Mill fire 24:43 The Bradford Fire 0:26 Large fire in Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post Bradford Mill fire 0:34 Bradford Great Horton Mill fire 0:10 Fire at Bradford school (video: Glynn Beck) 4:05 bradford city fc fire 1985 "We stayed in the pub for hours. "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. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. "[16] As spectators began to cascade over the wall separating the stand from the pitch, the linesman on that side of the pitch informed referee Norman Glover, who stopped the game with three minutes remaining before half-time. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez. 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. The Bradford city stadium fire. 56 people died when a - reddit We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. 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 . Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. [10] Of those who died, 11 were under-18 and 23 were aged 65 or over,[20] and the oldest victim was the club's former chairman, Sam Firth, aged 86. 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. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. The 1985 Bradford City Stadium fire remembered - IFSEC Global Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. 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. ", Popplewell: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". All that was left of. [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". It detailed the safety work which would be carried out at Valley Parade as a result of the club's promotion, admitting the ground was "inadequate in so many ways for modern requirements". 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.
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