burning man bradford city stadium fire

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 got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. "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. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. It occurred during a league match in front of record numbers of spectators, on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. "The one thing I remember at the time is we were grateful that we got an answer quickly after the inquiry. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. 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. Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. 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. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. The flames suddenly appeared and the whole roof took alight,' he said. No fire extinguishers had been installed over fears of vandalism and less than four minutes after the fire was reported, the fire had engulfed the whole 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. Lincoln City suffered two successive relegations, first to the Fourth Division in 1986, and again in 1987, becoming the first team to be automatically relegated from the Football League itself. 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 . It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. 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. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. Original television coverage of the fire, as caught by cameras covering the match. 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. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. '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.'. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. ", ITV football commentator John Helm, who provided live commentary of the unfolding disaster across the nation: "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. "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. Some repair work was carried out, but in July 1984 the club was warned again, this time by a county council engineer, because of the club's plans to claim for ground improvements from the Football Trust. 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. [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. [57] Following the 30th anniversary of the fire, a number of news organisations named this man as Eric Bennett who was visiting his nephew in Bradford from Australia and attended the game on the day. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. 'It is the worst day in my life. [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. 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. However, the fire had consumed the stand entirely by that point and they were faced with huge flames and very dense smoke. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. People were falling on to each other and screaming. From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. "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 blame was through neglect, they didn't have the money to maintain the stand. ', 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. "[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. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. Burning Man.NYC. 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. However, as there was no real precedent, most Bradfordians accepted that the fire was a terrible piece of misfortune. 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. 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. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. Most recognizably, tens of thousands of Burners gather annually to build Black Rock City, a participative temporary metropolis . The stand had no perimeter fencing to keep fans from accessing the pitch, thus averting an instance of crush asphyxia as in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. [3] It included a main stand which seated 5,300fans, and had room for a further 7,000 standing spectators in the paddock in front. 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. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. 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 . Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. 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. [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. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". 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. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. 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." Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. Bradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. Last edited: May 11, 2021 May 11, 2019 #2 JohnnyKills Full Member Joined Jan 8, 2016 Messages 6,902 Yeah footage is horrendous isn't it. ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. Football architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to carry out the work. (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. [10][11], Bradford's Telegraph & Argus newspaper published a souvenir issue for 11 May, entitled, "Spit and Polish for the Parade Ground". Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. 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. > Contacts> Join us> Circulars> Training courses> Sign up to Rollcall. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. We had not been told anything.". [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. "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. Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. Most of the exits at the back were locked or shut and there were no stewards present to open them, but seven were forced open or found open. We didn't know how serious it was.". He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. "That was the moment that I realised not everybody was going to get out. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.#History #Disasters 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. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. 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. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. Edited by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. "Until I arrived home my mum and my brother had no idea whether I was alive or dead. Nigel Adams who worked for 12 years as a fire investigator with a British fire service was spurred on by the book to join the call for a fresh inquiry, stating that Fletcher's book was "one of the best accounts of a fire, as seen from a victim's point of view, and as a piece of investigative writing, I have ever read". "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". The stand itself was engulfed in seconds, almost as if petrol had been ignited throughout the block. 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 Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. 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?.

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