[15], At 3:44pm, five minutes before half-time, the first sign of a firea glowing lightwas noticed three rows from the back of block G,[10][16] as reported by television commentator John Helm. BBC Sport looks back at the Bradford City fire disaster that claimed the lives of 56 spectators when a stand became engulfed in flames on 11 May 1985. 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 already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. Read about our approach to external linking. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). "[35], The total amount of compensation to the 154 claimants was reported to be as high as 20million, with the payouts covered by insurance taken out by the club. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. Part of the Appeal funds were raised by a recording of "You'll Never Walk Alone"[42] from Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Carousel by The Crowd (including Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, who had recorded the 1963 version that led to Liverpool adopting it as their motto and team song), which reached number one in the UK Singles chart. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. After 40 minutes of the first half, fans had begun to complain about the drab match and the 0-0 score. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. 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. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. [38], The tragedy received immense media attention and drew support from around the world, with those offering their sympathy including Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. All Rights Reserved. I had no idea. Of the 56 people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. [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. [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. A call was made on a police radio to the police operations room in Bradford and relayed to the fire brigade at 3.43 pm. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . We didn't know how serious it was.". The fire destroyed the main stand completely and left only burned seats, lamps and metal fences remaining. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. As we move ahead on the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, sustainability projects are taking center stage. It was to be our day,' he said. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". 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. 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. 2022 DECOMPRESSION WAS DREAMY . Some people seem to have run back up the slope, thinking that they could get back through the turnstiles, and were burned alive. Some of the dead were found at the bottom of these steps. 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. It spelt out 'thank you fans'. Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. It's terrifying how quickly fire spreads in the wrong circumstances. 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. 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. [6] 1908 - Parker Building, New York City, January 10. "We couldn't help because there were so many people streaming towards us, to our side of the pitch, to get away from the heat. [8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside, which again helped prevent further deaths. 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.. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." 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. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. [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. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. 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 The government inquiry into the disaster concluded the fire spread "faster than a man could run". We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. All that was left of. "I've always loved art but I owned businesses in construction so I've never had the time or a chance to follow it up," he says. It was unprecedented.". Many who had walked out of the fire stood on the pitch looking back in horror as the flames destroyed the stand. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. [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. 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. Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. Bradford fan Matthew Wildman, who was aged 17 and using crutches because of rheumatoid arthritis: "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. The timber construction of St. Andrew's Stand, Main Stand and the roof of its popular Railway End terrace were immediately condemned as fire hazards, which saw seating capacity briefly cut to nil. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. 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. They stood outside the headquarters, staring at nothing in particular. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. 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. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. People were clambering over the wall on to the ground with their clothes and hair on fire. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. 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). "[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]. 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. The stories of escapes are legion. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. Videos, gifs, or aftermath photos of machinery, structures, or devices I was there in hospital for eight weeks - it felt like a lifetime. "We couldn't run back down the tunnel. Hillsborough looms the largest in our collective consciousness, but there were also the many deaths that occurred at Heysel Stadium in 1985, as well as the Bradford City stadium fire that same year. The firemen who arrived there were met by a wall of flame and dense black smoke. There were no extinguishers in the stand's passageway for fear of vandalism, and one spectator ran to the clubhouse to find one but was overcome by smoke and impeded by others trying to escape. [56], On 17 April 2015, retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer, in a report by the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, said the police were aware of an Australian man who admitted to starting the fire. Like you, we're already preparing for Black Rock City to rise again. 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. 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. Listen to Valley Parade: Bradford City Fire Remembered on BBC Radio Leeds (18:00 BST) and BBC Radio 5 live (21:00 BST). I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. 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. [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. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. This day was for them. A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. "It is unbelievable how quickly the fire took hold. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. 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. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. [2] By 1911, his work was completed. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." We had not been told anything.". "[16] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. As he scaled the brick perimeter wall at the front, his father stayed behind to help others escape. Pendleton: "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. It was sort of the good thing to come out of the nightmare," says Simon Parker, a football reporter for the Telegraph and Argus. [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. [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. But all the people being treated, we formed a family, a bond.". 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'. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room.". Exactly 79 years to the day after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in New York City. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. Just look at how many people were standing around just 50-60 meters away from the blazing inferno. We accepted it was an accident, nobody wanted to blame the club because it was the club we wanted to support. Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. Loading. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. "[28], West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council was found to have failed in its duty under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. 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 scene when I arrived was horrendous. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. The game was irrelevant. [2] The main stand was described as a "mammoth structure", but was unusual for its time because of its place on the side of a hill. ", Hendrie: "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. Among the main outcomes of the inquiry were the banning of new wooden grandstands at all UK sports grounds, the immediate closure of other wooden stands deemed unsafe and the banning of smoking in other wooden stands. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. An inquiry launched in the aftermath of the disaster led to legislation to improve safety at football grounds. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful.