It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. Mr Antony Burrows said: 'One man was stood near me with his hair on fire. It was fairly clear that somebody had dropped a lighted match or cigarette between the floorboards.". The game was irrelevant. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. The man we see at 7:50 walking out onto the pitch on fire was a retired mill worker. 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. 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. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. 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 stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. She was hysterical and trying to find her three children. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. It was sort of the good thing to come out of the nightmare," says Simon Parker, a football reporter for the Telegraph and Argus. However, the responsibility of the Club is, in my view, very much the greater and I apportion responsibility between the two defendants as to two-thirds on the first defendant and one-third on the third (sic) defendant. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. 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. Bradford City were supposed to be celebrating on 11 May 1985. A few minutes later, he felt a thump on his back from his father, who told him to run. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. "I got stuck against the wall with the weight of people behind me trying to get over. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. 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. Smoke was seen coming from the third row in the section but people are apparently used to seeing smoke flares on the Bradford ground. 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. Burning Man Countdown | Burning Man 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. The smoke was choking. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. England won the re-match 64. [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. "I feel such information should be made public and people should look at those facts, then make their mind up on those facts. Wildman: "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. 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. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. Police had an official photographer at the game, watching for crowd disturbance. Heginbotham died in 1995, aged 61, and was never prosecuted for the stadium fire, despite the coroner later saying he had given serious consideration to bringing a charge of manslaughter as the club had failed to act on three separate warnings about a potential fire risk. 'They did not have a chance. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. 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. Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the fire. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. 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. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". 'The smoke was very, very dense. He later died in hospital. I don't see that. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Bradford fire 11.5.1985.mpg - video Dailymotion Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. ", Popplewell: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". Bradford City stadium fire: Remembering the 56 who died at Valley - IBT That's when everybody else had the same thought. Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day 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 heat was so intense it caused car windows to shatter in the street. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. [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. 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. [31] In 1988, the first compensation payments were made to survivors of the fire, with over 40 people receiving up to 40,000 each. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. One family was in tears, the mother shaking. "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. Bradford City stadium fire: BBC documentary says Aussie man to blame The Popplewell Inquiry found that a discarded cigarette and an accumulation of litter beneath the stand were to blame. Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). ", There has always been a close bond between the club and its supporters since the fire, he adds. "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. The Bradford City stadium fire : r/MorbidReality Bradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21 and stood in the main stand: "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold. [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. 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 pile of rubbish that had been building up below. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. Other parents whose children had not arrived home on Saturday called at the police station or sat in cars outside, waiting for news. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium - HISTORY 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. 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 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. At the time, however, Harrison says, Bradford just wanted to move on. [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 slipped through a hole in the floorboard. All that was left of. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. People were falling on to each other and screaming. But I've never spoken to anyone who thought the fire wasn't anything other than a tragic accident. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . 199 Bradford City Stadium Fire Photos and Premium High Res Pictures Bradford City fire was started by a tourist who dropped a cigarette The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. Bradford City had just won the Third Division Championship and a record number of spectators over 11,000 had turned out to see the club presented with its first piece of league silverware in 56 years. [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. 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. 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. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. Burning Man.NYC. He started to walk home, unsure of what had happened to his father. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. Now a new film claims an Australian was responsible for the worst . "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". 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. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". [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. It is impossible so far to be accurate about the precise cause of the fire, with grossly conflicting reports from witnesses. People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. "A disaster is not black and white - it is a mass of factors.". Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. The stories of escapes are legion. 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. Bradford City Fire disaster: 36 years on the city's pioneering burns 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. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. 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. [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. Witnesses of the fire have come to terms with the tragedy in different ways. "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story, but I'm afraid it is nonsense for many reasons.". "I looked up and saw the flames. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. 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. Some of the dead were found at the bottom of these steps. On 11 May 1985 a blaze ripped through Bradford City stadium's wooden structure in minutes as the club played Lincoln City in an end of season match. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. ", "If the inquiry is opened again, we will await to see what evidence there is to prove is wasn't an accident," he says. "[59], Raymond Falconer's reliability had previously been questioned by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian who stated that: "The Bradford Telegraph and Argus described him as a 'top detective'. People were scrambling for their lives to get out, and I know having sat in that stand normally that it is difficult and there is a drop to get to the pitch level," Harrison says. The 1985 Bradford City Football Stadium Fire What Happened and Why Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985 | Fire Brigades Union 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. Former Bradford midfielder John Hendrie, who was playing in the match: "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices "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. 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. Yet many of those with terrible memories of the tragedy also take heart in the compassion born out of the devastation. [11] Those who escaped were taken out of the ground to neighbouring homes and a pub, where a television screened World of Sport, which broadcast video recorded of the fire just an hour after it was filmed. 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 . The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. 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). 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'. 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. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. 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. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. The Bradford city stadium fire. 56 people died when a - reddit "I was supposed to meet my father at my grandfather's house, but I was a bit late so I went straight to the game so I didn't miss the festivities.". A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated wooden stand, which had survived because the club did not have the money to replace it, and accumulated paper litter, were considered to have conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League. 1908 - Collinwood school fire, in Collinwood, Ohio (soon absorbed by Cleveland ), on March 4, killed 175. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. Bradford City players line up to observe a minutes silence for the 25th anniversary of the 1985 Bradford stadium fire prior to the Coca Cola League. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. '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.'. All Rights Reserved. It was to be our day,' he said. Bradford City fire: Police reveal who was responsible for 1985 Valley [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. There was hardly anything left of him.'. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. 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. 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 . 527 votes, 98 comments. 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. The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. [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 agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. Helm later described the start of the fire in an interview to the Express newspaper: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, [A] man over from Australia visiting his son got two tickets to the game. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. ', 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. People were clambering over the wall on to the ground with their clothes and hair on fire. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States.
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