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 . Funnily enough I was thinking 'I'm going to miss the second half at this rate'. 1908 - Collinwood school fire, in Collinwood, Ohio (soon absorbed by Cleveland ), on March 4, killed 175. 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 father Tony went back the following day and said: "I wondered how anybody had got out alive, but I also began to feel guilty that I had got out when so many hadn't." He started to walk home, unsure of what had happened to his father. But a minute or so later there was suddenly a bigger whoosh of smoke so they went to get a steward. [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. We were given the trophy before the game in front of the supporters and had to do a lap of honour. All Rights Reserved. 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. There were many cases of heroism, with more than 50 people later receiving police awards or commendations for bravery. The sling is now used internationally in the treatment of burns. [1] When the association football club was formed, the ground was changed very little and had no covered accommodation. 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. Steel was to be installed in the roof,[8] and the wooden terracing was to be replaced with concrete. More than 3,500 people were crammed into the main stand area and this prevented people from moving away from the blaze quickly. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. By the time the fire brigade arrived they were faced with huge flames and dense smoke. 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. 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. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. I remember trying to make sense of what was going on. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. Then the flames and smoke were all over the place.'. Website by, Bradford City FC stadium fire | 11th May 1985, Fundraising for firefighters and their families. "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. [29] The Health and Safety Executive who were also part of the legal action were found to be non-liable. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]. As he received the injured at Bradford Royal Infirmary he was able to call upon 10% of the UK's population of plastic surgeons. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. [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. Stadium disasters have blighted the world of sport throughout modern history. [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. [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. 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. Former Bradford midfielder John Hendrie, who was playing in the match: "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. "Me and my dad eventually got out safely but it was a bit of a struggle at one point because the walls getting down to the pitch level were quite high I didn't get a growth spurt until I was 16 or 17.". By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. [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. [19] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. Fifty-six people died. 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. Those who rescued people were themselves burned in the process. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. No one gave it the attention it ought to have received.. .. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. However, as there was no real precedent, most Bradfordians accepted that the fire was a terrible piece of misfortune. 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 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. It was sort of the good thing to come out of the nightmare," says Simon Parker, a football reporter for the Telegraph and Argus. 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. Saturday began for the fans in a carnival atmosphere at Bradford 's Valley Parade ground a short walk from the city centre. There was hardly anything left of him.'. [3] It included a main stand which seated 5,300fans, and had room for a further 7,000 standing spectators in the paddock in front. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. Twenty nine years ago on this date, 56 people tragically died when a fire erupted at Bradford City's Valley Parade ground The day was supposed to be one of celebration for Bradford who had just won the Third Division trophy. Bradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. 1908 - Rhoads Opera House fire, Boyertown, Pennsylvania, killed 170. It was also a catalyst for the substantial redevelopment and modernisation of many British football grounds within the following thirty years. Within a few hours of the blaze starting, it was established that 56 people had been killed, many as a result of smoke inhalation, although some of them had survived until reaching hospital.[11]. 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. 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. "[33], Central to the test case were two letters sent to Bradford City's Club Secretary by the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade; the second letter dated 18 July 1984 specifically highlighted in full the improvements needed to be actioned at the ground as well as the fire risk at the main stand. "We stayed in the pub for hours. Warnings had been issued over the ground's antiquated wooden structure, which had been condemned and was due to be pulled down and replaced with steel and concrete. Yet in 2015, allegations surfaced which shifted the focus to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham. They were donated by Bradford's twin city of Hamm, Germany, and are situated in front of Bradford City Hall in both locations. It was clear from what the Chief Fire Officer for West Yorkshire, Mr Graham Karran, said yesterday that the ground was far from safe. Keep an eye out as you ride your bike through the city you will see a new solar-powered Man, fewer gas and . 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. [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. However, there is a lot in this book that troubles me about the science, or lack of it, used in the testing of the investigators' hypothesis as to the source of the ignition. 56 people dead. [53], In 1986, a year after the disaster, Yorkshire Television aired a documentary presented by John Helm entitled Bradford City A Year of Healing. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". 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. 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. Come celebrate the beastly realm and our place in it and with it, an even more radically inclusive and sustainable city and global community in 2023: ANIMALIA! Most of the fans who took this escape route were killed or seriously injured. "[37], Fletcher subsequently published a book in 2015, Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire which revealed a history of fires at businesses owned by the Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham. 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. Bits of my arms, bits of my legs, part of my face, part of my scalp. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. 1985: Fans killed in Bradford stadium fire. [32] Speaking at the close of the case, the Judge said "They (the club) were at fault, no one in authority seemed to have appreciated the fire hazard. The Man burns on September 02, 2023. "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. [5] However, he also warned the club of a build-up of litter beneath the stand because of a gap between the seats. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. When cross examined by QC Robert Smith, then Chairman Stafford Heginbotham said he knew about the fire risk at the ground. Interviews conducted by BBC Radio Leeds' Tim Daley. There is no evidence in the book, he is just pointing out there are some coincidences. 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. Police worked until 4am the next morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Crowds on the pitch at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium after the stand caught fire, Bradford City fans pay tribute to the 56 fans who died the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985, The blaze causing the deaths of 56 supporters in one of the worst incidents in British football, Bradford artist Paul Town was inspired to paint after surviving the Valley Parade fire, Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, New book claims fatal 1985 Bradford City Valley Parade fire might have been started deliberately, Bradford City chairman 'linked to eight fires' before Valley Parade stadium disaster, Bradford City 0-0 Reading: Bantams hold Royals in quarter-final stalemate, David Alaba receives massive abuse for voting for Lionel Messi in The Best awards, Glazers' demands set to delay Manchester United takeover: reports, Man Utd beat West Ham to reach FA Cup quarters as Spurs crash out, Bahrain GP: F1 team rankings ahead of 2023 season-opener, Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Xavi admits Los Blancos still favourites to advance. Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. He was asked if precautions would have been adequate had the club been in the Second Division. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. 'The smoke was very, very dense. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. At the time of the disaster, many stadiums had perimeter fencing between the stands and the pitch to prevent incidents of football hooliganism particularly pitch invasions which were rife during the 1980s. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. "That was the moment that I realised not everybody was going to get out. Lincoln City's board responded by committing 1.1million (3.5million today) to their ground's renovation in the year that immediately followed the fire at Valley Parade, and over the following decade made improvements that eventually totalled 3million. Your brain tells you, you are not going anywhere. [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. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. We, and the world, need Burning Man and Black Rock City more than ever. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. Although I was only 12 at the time, 11 May 1985 is a day. Each year Lincoln send representatives to the annual memorial service in Bradford city centre and between 2007 and 2009, were managed by Bradford's captain that day, Peter Jackson. I saw one man lying on the ground, burning from head to foot. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. [] I still have terrible memories of the day, but it is the humanity of those that helped us that I reflect on."[41]. Soon they were all running for their lives. 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. 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. (2015), 2003 Football League Third Division play-off final, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bradford_City_stadium_fire&oldid=1141323458, Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Articles needing additional references from May 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from December 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Fan attempted to extinguish a lit cigarette, it slipped through floorboards and fell on rubbish, igniting it. [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. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. The entrances to the stand were all at the rear and were higher than the rest of the ground. "I was burnt from top to bottom, on and off. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. 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. "I saw people die in the stand - but it was only until then that I realised the scale of it.". he asks. 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. [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. So I decided to give it that next push. "[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]. "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. 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. 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. 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 Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football.. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. As the blaze spread, the wooden stands and roofcovered with layers of highly flammable bituminous roofing feltquickly went ablaze. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. "One of my most haunting images was being on the bus home after dark and going past Valley Parade. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. "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. 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. 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. This included the banning of new wooden grandstands at all sports venues in the UK. [10][16] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. "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. As many supporters still required rescue from the stand, they were unable to immediately start fighting the source of the fire. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. The inquiry into the disaster, chaired by Sir Oliver Popplewell and known as the Popplewell Inquiry,[25] led to the introduction of new legislation to improve safety at the UK's football grounds. However, the fire had consumed the stand entirely by that point and they were faced with huge flames and very dense smoke. The Bradford way was keep it to ourselves - it worked collectively that we did that. 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). The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. Others ran forward to try to clamber over a fence and a small wall on to the pitch. 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.. The only fire extinguishers in the ground were in the clubroom, which is also in the main stand. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Valley Parade during the early 1990s, after it had been redeveloped following the fire. The mood before the match on the 11 May 1985 against Lincoln City was one of jubilation. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get out. On Saturday 11 May 2002, the 17th anniversary of the disaster, a memorial with the names of those who lost their lives was dedicated at the new entrance to the redeveloped Sunwin stand. The smoke was choking. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. Ironically, off-duty firemen were at the ground selling raffle tickets for a charity football match which should have been held yesterday. Fire on Upper Castle Street, Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post On This Day 1985: The Bradford City Fire 0:15 Bradford Mill fire 24:43 The Bradford Fire 0:26 Large fire in Bradford Yorkshire Evening Post Bradford Mill fire 0:34 Bradford Great Horton Mill fire 0:10 Fire at Bradford school (video: Glynn Beck) 4:05 bradford city fc fire 1985 All that was left of. It is impossible so far to be accurate about the precise cause of the fire, with grossly conflicting reports from witnesses. 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. It slipped through a hole in the floorboard. 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. He had to undergo counselling and was unable to go to another game for several years. [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. [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. The game was irrelevant. [46], In 2014, the theatre company Funny You Should Ask (FYSA) premiered their heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died at the fire. All existing grandstands deemed fire risks were faced with immediate closure. The match between Bradford City and Lincoln City, the final game of that season, had started in a celebratory atmosphere with the home team receiving the Third Division championship trophy.
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