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[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. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. The team's coach, Mr Terry Yorath, ran on to the pitch to try to help people away from the stand. 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. Samuel Firth, a founder of the supporters' club, was the oldest victim at 86; four 11-year-old boys were the youngest. He went on to state: "In 1985 fire investigation in Britain was in its infancy and some would say at that time most fire investigators were not much more than dust-kickers. As a result, Bradford-born captain Peter Jackson was presented with the league trophy before the final game of the season with mid-table Lincoln City at Valley Parade on 11 May 1985. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. [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. His face was burned and his car, which he had parked outside the ground, was destroyed. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. However as the game against Lincoln progressed, a fire began just before half-time in the stand that ran alongside the pitch. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. The courts held the club to be two thirds responsible, finding that it gave "no or very little thought to fire precautions" despite repeated warnings. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. I had to put my jumper over his hair to put the blaze out. 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 Bradford City Stadium Fire 1985 - The Football Inferno The local council was deemed to be one third responsible. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. 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. At the final home match against Barnsley at the end of April, Bradford City fans collected more than 8,000 in a bucket collection. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. Below the seats were rows of litter which had piled up throughout the season, said witnesses. Radiated heat from the burning roof of the stand set fire to the clothing of fans trapped underneath. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. It is a simple account laid out for all to see. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire - HISTORY ", "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. 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. Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. The Great Fire of London, 1212 | Sky HISTORY TV Channel Forty-two minutes into the first half of the game, he looked to his left to see smoke and flames rising from the old wooden seats. 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. [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. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. 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. The fire happened during a football match. It wasn't just something that happened in the past.". 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I have never had to deal with such a situation before, and this has put the city on its heels.'. Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985 | Fire Brigades Union The match was recorded by Yorkshire Television for their regional edition of the ITV Sunday afternoon football show The Big Match. Someone came in and shouted: 'Get out, get out there's a fire'. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. More than 250 others were injured in one of the. The only fire extinguishers in the ground were in the clubroom, which is also in the main stand. Bradford City stadium fire disaster: In memory of the 56 victims Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. It's a nice little business and it's something positive that came out of a tragedy. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. [34], During the case, Sir Joseph Cantley stated that: "It is only right that I should say that I think it would be unfair to conclude that Heginbotham, Tordoff, the Board of Directors, or any of them, were intentionally and callously indifferent to the safety of spectators using the stand. "I remember not being able to watch it, but we couldn't get out. Bradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. ", 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. It was during this treatment that Sharpe began to develop the Bradford Sling,[21] which applies even pressure across sensitive areas. The 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. One, now re-situated to that end of the stand where the fire began, is a sculpture donated on the initial re-opening of Valley Parade in December 1986 by Sylvia Graucob, a then Jersey-based former West Yorkshire woman. [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. 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. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small.". Previous warnings had also been given about a major build-up of litter in the cavity below the seats in the stand. That's when everybody else had the same thought. "That's when I thought 'this is time to get out of here'. "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. Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. [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. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. Bradford fire: the horrors and the silence that had to be broken Daniel Taylor The policewoman assigned to the grieving Fletchers gets goosebumps when she looks back to 30 years ago. Fletcher said that "The club at the time took no actual responsibility for its actions and nobody has ever really been held accountable for the level of negligence which took place. [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. "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. Bradford city council officials, off-duty policemen and guests from Bradford 's twin town, Munchengladbach, were there to celebrate. The 1985 Bradford City Football Stadium Fire What Happened and Why So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. The wooden roof that burned was scheduled to be replaced by a steel roof later that same . Those with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. [16] Messages of condolence were also received from Helmut Kohl, Chedli Klibi and Felipe Gonzlez.