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People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. The fact is that no one person was concerned with the safety of the premises. "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. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). 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 club's success had swollen the crowd to 10,000 and arguments will rage about fire precautions at the ground. The Popplewell Inquiry found that a discarded cigarette and an accumulation of litter beneath the stand were to blame. [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. "If we were fed a lie about it being an accident, then we will be educated. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" The Man burns on September 02, 2023. It transpired that the wooden stand had already been condemned and was set to be demolished just two days after the tragedy. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. [citation needed] Mathew Wildman, aged 17 at the time of the fire, commented that "I must have had five different experiments carried out on me with all sorts of new techniques for skin grafts and I had potions injected into me that helped my face repair naturally over time. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. '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 that was left of. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". It remains to be seen whether a new investigation will take place. The flames suddenly appeared and the whole roof took alight,' he said. 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. 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. We didn't know how serious it was.". [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. "It made me realise life is too short." 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. "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 'They did not have a chance. [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. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. 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. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. 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. Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. "I remember not being able to watch it, but we couldn't get out. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. [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. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. We were sat in our football kit, we didn't know what to do. Like you, we're already preparing for Black Rock City to rise again. "Some of the local residents opened their houses so people could make phone calls. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. 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. Last updated on 10 May 201510 May 2015.From the section Football, "People didn't die because of fires at football grounds. ", 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. 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. ', 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. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . Loading. "I know it's a clich to say that, but it's true.". "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. I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. "[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. Read about our approach to external linking. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. [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. You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. One elderly man started to walk across the pitch with his clothes and face ablaze. "How quickly the fire spread is difficult to convey to people.". The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. [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. 'The smoke was very, very dense. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. Popplewell's report was nowhere close to the quality of Lord Justice Taylor's report after Hillsborough, and since reading it as an adult I have always been very disappointed in it and considered it a poor piece of work. I ran to the stand and tried to help people escape. "I was operated on every other day because I had so many burns and so many areas to work on. They were immediately promoted back to the Football League in 1988, and survived for 23 years before being relegated again in 2011. People were falling on to each other and screaming. 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. 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]. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. We had not been told anything.". The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . Artist Paul Town, who now lives in Baildon, was 15 at the time of the 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 feel such information should be made public and people should look at those facts, then make their mind up on those facts. A new book, written by Valley Parade survivor Martin Fletcher, claims then-Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham had previously netted millions of pounds from insurance payouts after at least eight previous fires at businesses he was associated with. Original television coverage of the fire, as caught by cameras covering the match. We went over to the policeman stood at the corner flag and asked if it was being sorted out, and he said it was under control," Harrison says. It is not thought that there was any crowd trouble in this section but one theory the police are investigating is that a flare or smoke-bomb was thrown or was accidentally dropped. Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. He asks the reader to make their mind up about whether these fires were a coincidence or not.". Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. 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]. 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. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. So I decided to give it that next push. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. 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. Television cameras spotted the outbreak of fire in Valley Parade's main stand at 15:40 BST. I don't know where Falconer is getting this cock-and-bull story from the inaccuracies in this report [documentary] are dumbfounding. 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. The disaster led to rigid new safety standards in UK stadiums, including the banning of new wooden grandstands. "[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. Fifty-six people died. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. ", "If the inquiry is opened again, we will await to see what evidence there is to prove is wasn't an accident," he says. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. [40] Matthew Wildman was 17 at the time and needed crutches to walk because of rheumatoid arthritis. It seemed to put it out. 1909 - Flores Theater fire, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 15, killed 250. [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. One woman was seen running around the ground with no skin on her arms and face. [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. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. We sat in the main stand the week before, but we had decided to move on that day," he says. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. 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. Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. "The one thing I remember at the time is we were grateful that we got an answer quickly after the inquiry. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. "I was in the stand opposite when the fire broke out. After Hillsborough, the Bradford City FC stadium fire was the second worst sporting tragedy in England, leaving 56 dead and at least 265 injured. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. Recommended The untold stories of the 1985 fire [14] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]. Most Bradfordians have accepted the fire was a terrible misfortune. Mike Harrison, the editor of the Bradford City Football Club fanzine The City Gent, was there on the day. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. 1908 - Collinwood school fire, in Collinwood, Ohio (soon absorbed by Cleveland ), on March 4, killed 175. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the penultimate night of Burning Man, which is the Saturday evening before Labor Day. "[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. 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.