"Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. But all the people being treated, we formed a family, a bond.". The scene in there was one of silence and shock. The blaze, at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx, killed 87 people, the . Supporters either ran upwards to the back of the stand or downwards to the pitch to escape. 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. Cigarette smoking was also banned at all grounds with wooden stands. 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 man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) The fire claimed young and old alike, with most fatalities occurring at the rear of the stand where people sought escape only to find turnstiles locked. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. [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. It slipped through a hole in the floorboard. 'They did not have a chance. The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. He later died in hospital. There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the fire. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. 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 scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. 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. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . Fifty-six people died. Fire disaster at football match (Bradford City stadium fire) - YouTube Sign in to confirm your age 0:00 / 5:23 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users.. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. And all you could smell was burning.". Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. The fire brigade said that when heat builds up so quickly it can cause flames to move much quicker than people can walk. 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. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. [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. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. We had not been told anything.". Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. 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. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. "All you could see was black cloud. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. The whole fire seemed to erupt in seconds,' he said. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. 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'. 1908 - Collinwood school fire, in Collinwood, Ohio (soon absorbed by Cleveland ), on March 4, killed 175. 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. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. People were falling on to each other and screaming. There were no fire extinguishers. Martin Fletcher, a Bradford fan who lost three generations of his family in the fire, published a memoir of the tragic event called Fifty-Six The Story Of The Bradford Fire, in which he claimed the blaze at Valley Parade was one of nine fires at businesses owned by or associated with Heginbotham. List of building or structure fires - Wikipedia The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. "I looked up and saw the flames. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. An inquiry launched in the aftermath of the disaster led to legislation to improve safety at football grounds. Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. The game was irrelevant.". Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. "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. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. England won the re-match 64. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. And the black and twisted skeleton of the burnt stand stood out in the night. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. Bradford City fire was started by a tourist who dropped a cigarette Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. 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]. The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Stories From 11 May. However, the turnstiles were locked and none of the stadium staff were present to unlock them, leaving no escape through the normal entrances and exits. Disaster struck at 3.43 pm. 56 dead and hundreds more injured. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. he asks. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. 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. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. 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". 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. When the game began there was no way out for them, except by going on to the pitch. 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 | Football Wiki | Fandom He was completely on fire and it looked as though he simply did not know what had happened to him.'. "[16] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. 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. Bradford City initially prospered in the Second Division only missing out on promotion to the First Division in 1988 after failing to beat Ipswich Town at home on the final day of their first full season back at Valley Parade. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. Mr Stefan Krolak, a survivor from Bradford , said he saw the smoke start a few seats away from him 'The smoke seemed suddenly to set on fire. Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium - HISTORY 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 is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. [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. 527 votes, 98 comments. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. What Is Burning Man? | Burning Man The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . 'The smoke was very, very dense. [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. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. Soon they were all running for their lives. There was hardly anything left of him.'. 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. They were not able to use water on the stand immediately because this would have hampered attempts to rescue people being dragged by the police and friends from the stand. 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. They were at fault, but the fault was that no-one in authority seems ever to have properly appreciated the real gravity of this fire hazard and consequently no-one gave it the attention it certainly ought to have received. 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. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. Christopher Hammond, who was 12 on the day, said on the 20th anniversary of the fire: "As a 12-year-old, it was easy to move on I didn't realise how serious it was until I looked at the press coverage over the next few days. 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 . Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". "[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. 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. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. The money raised from this record was contributed to fund the internationally renowned burns unit that was established in partnership between the University of Bradford and Bradford Royal Infirmary, immediately after the fire, which has also been Bradford City's official charity for well over a decade. ", "If the inquiry is opened again, we will await to see what evidence there is to prove is wasn't an accident," he says. 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]. The blame was through neglect, they didn't have the money to maintain the stand. The worst fire disaster in English football history played out on live television on May 11, after Valley Parade's main stand caught fire during a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City on . 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. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. ", There has always been a close bond between the club and its supporters since the fire, he adds. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. "How quickly the fire spread is difficult to convey to people.". As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. A capacity 6,000 crowd attended a multi-denominational memorial service, held on the pitch in the sunny shadow of the burnt out stand at Valley Parade in July 1985. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. It was unprecedented.". 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. ', 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 is the worst day in my life. Spread by the wind, the wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire. 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. Loading. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. The only fire extinguishers in the ground were in the clubroom, which is also in the main stand. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. The fire happened during a football match. When Town reached the Midland Road side of the pitch, he was faced with horrific scenes of the injured being treated and comforted by ambulance crews, fans and players. 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. The main stand at Bradford was not surrounded by fencing, and therefore most of the spectators in it could escape onto the pitch if they had been penned in then the death toll would inevitably have been in the hundreds if not the thousands. Bradford City stadium fire disaster: In memory of the 56 victims Bradford City stadium fire: Police identify man who 'dropped the Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. 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. "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. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. You could hardly breathe. 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 . We didn't know how serious it was.". [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. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. On Saturday 11 May 2002, the 17th anniversary of the disaster, a memorial with the names of those who lost their lives was dedicated at the new entrance to the redeveloped Sunwin stand. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. "[11] Police Superintendent Barry Osborne, divisional commander for the area, said many of his officers cried when they saw how badly people had been burned. "We stayed in the pub for hours. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. [6], The 198485 season had been one of Bradford City's most successful seasons, ending with City clinching the championship title courtesy of a 20 victory against Bolton Wanderers in the penultimate game of the season. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. Speculation an Australian man started the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 IT killed 56 people and destroyed an entire stadium. 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. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. For the 30th anniversary of the fire a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was recorded at Voltage Studios in Bradford. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. 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. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. [10] The stand seats did not have risers; this had allowed a large accumulation of rubbish and paper waste in the cavity space under the stand, which had not been cleared for many months. [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. "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold. [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. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. Read about our approach to external linking. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. 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. All Rights Reserved. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. It took the firemen four minutes to arrive at the ground but the speed of the fire was such that the blaze also took only four minutes to grip the entire stand. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). It seemed to put it out. Pendleton: "I got pushed down to the front and I remember looking around and suddenly this smouldering, small fire had taken over virtually half a block and was starting to hit the roof. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". 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. Burning Man NYC Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. 05/12/15 AT 9:58 AM BST Crowds on the pitch at the Valley Parade stadium after a stand caught fire Getty Images Police have revealed the identity of the man who they believe was responsible. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. 199 Bradford City Stadium Fire Photos and Premium High Res Pictures
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