burning man bradford city stadium fire

The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. We had not been told anything.". I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. Bradford fire 11.5.1985.mpg - video Dailymotion 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. 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. 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. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. 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]. "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. 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. 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. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. "[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. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. Former Bradford midfielder John Hendrie, who was playing in the match: "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. "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. [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. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. Hendrie: "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. Fifty-six people died. 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. List of building or structure fires - Wikipedia He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. "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. This day was for them. ", There has always been a close bond between the club and its supporters since the fire, he adds. "I remember not being able to watch it, but we couldn't get out. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. 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. 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. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". On 23 February 1987, Sir Joseph Cantley found the club two thirds responsible and the county council (which by this time had been abolished) one third responsible. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". 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. Burning Man Countdown | Burning Man The fire happened during a football match. 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. Some people seem to have run back up the slope, thinking that they could get back through the turnstiles, and were burned alive. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium - HISTORY 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. Only one person had been positively identified by police by early last night. The Bradford City Stadium Fire 1985 - The Football Inferno He started to walk home, unsure of what had happened to his father. "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. 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.. [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. There were no fire extinguishers. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. 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 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. 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. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. [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. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. We accepted it was an accident, nobody wanted to blame the club because it was the club we wanted to support. Superintendent Barry Osborne, divisional commander for the football club area, who was injured in the fire said that many policemen cried when they saw how badly people had been burned. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. [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. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. [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. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Some of the dead were found at the bottom of these steps. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. [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. 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. ', 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. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. All that was left of. 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. "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. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. "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. "[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. 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". One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. For the 30th anniversary of the fire a new version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was recorded at Voltage Studios in Bradford. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Town began to paint two years ago, first of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, before moving onto other stadiums. Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985 | Fire Brigades Union Eight fires in the 18 years before the Bradford City fire were identified, many catastrophic and leading to large insurance payouts. 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. As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. [8][9] In the crowd were local dignitaries and guests from three of Bradford's twin townsVerviers in Belgium, and Mnchengladbach and Hamm in West Germany. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. ", "If the inquiry is opened again, we will await to see what evidence there is to prove is wasn't an accident," he says. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. Burning Man - Wikipedia BBC News - Bradford fire 'will live with me forever' [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground. 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. The other, situated by the main entrance, was donated by the club after its 7.5million (13million today) rebuilding of the original main stand in 2002. 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. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". "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. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. 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. Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. "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. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. 05/10/15 AT 12:00 PM BST Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire Getty Images Fifty-six people were killed, 265 were injured and thousands. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". After 40 minutes of the first half, fans had begun to complain about the drab match and the 0-0 score. 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. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. [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. 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. Bradford City Stadium Fire - 36 years ago today | RedCafe.net Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. After the fire, Bradford City also announced they would thereafter play with a black trim on their shirt sleeves as a permanent memorial to those who had died. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. 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 . Bradford City stadium fire disaster remembered - BBC Sport The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. All you could hear was sirens and screams. However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. Bradford City Stadium Fire: The Forgotten Fire Tragedy of 1985 that There is a twin memorial sculpture, unveiled on 11 May 1986, which has the names of the dead inscribed on it. 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. 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. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. "[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]. I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. ", Hendrie: "We stayed in the pub for hours. "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. Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". 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. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. The stand had been officially condemned and was due to be replaced with a steel structure after the season ended. The game was irrelevant. "I was dragged on to the pitch and into a line of people, who couldn't do much for themselves and were lying there. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The book also raises concerns about the speed of the inquiry and the fact that it commenced a few weeks after the fire and lasted for only a few days, whereas other inquiries into similar incidents, pre and post the Bradford fire, have taken years to come to fruition and months to be heard. Christmas Day is supposed to be happy and pleasant, a time to gather with loved ones for a chill and relaxing celebration. It was unprecedented.". [39], The club's chairman, Stafford Heginbotham, said: "It was to be our day". The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. Soon they were all running for their lives. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. The fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium in which 56 people died and more than 270 were injured is remembered 25 years on. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. 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). "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold.

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