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. "I became an adult overnight at 12 and I'm still there," Fletcher says, and you wonder what's next, now that the book which has become his life's work is published. Club career[ edit] Joined As Bantams Community Manager, Ian hopes it will reveal what people living around the ground really think. Norman Hall (71) Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. She was Hazel Greenwood the mother whose children, 13-year-old Felix and 11-year-old Rupert, had been ushered away from the flames of the stadium fire all those years ago by a traffic warden, seeking to shelter them under his tunic. Walter Kerr (76) Bradford City Stadium Fire 56 Dead & 100's Injured. The 1985 Bradford City A.F.C stadium fire is regarded as one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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. Crews received a call to Stirling Crescent west of Highway 400 around 12:25 a.m. Saturday from a. Deborah A Ormondroyd. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died of his injuries in hospital. Whenever I read the roll call of the dead of this tragedy, and its inherent tales of familial loss, it truly brings a lump to my throat. These 10 users liked this post: Bop bobinho ashtonlongsider Rick_Muller JohnMac IanMcL ClaretMoffitt Juan Tanamera bfcjg FCBurnley. The theatre production moved on to London last week, its players and writers wondering as they packed up what the response would be, in the capital city, to a subject even less well known and understood beyond the Yorkshire boundaries. "We were concerned there might be, because of the rapidity of the fire, a mechanism unknown to us." The foundation is funding the project through a 40,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The speed of the fire was astonishing. And there are also repeated references to the smell of burning plastic. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to "[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. [11], The disaster also had a long-lasting effect on the fans. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football. The list of victims reveals the impact the disaster had on families as fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, husbands and wives went to a football game that day never to come home again. Samuel Firth (86) [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. Bradford City players, staff and fans gathered today to remember the victims of the Valley Parade fire, which took place exactly 31 years ago. ", Ian says he's hoping the Bantamspast project will look at a side of the club which hasn't been revealed before: "This is more about the fans, the people and the ground - even the people who don't come to the ground.". Never to be forgotten ACKROYD, John Douglas 32 Baildon ANDERTON, Edmund 68 Bingley BAINES, Alexander Shaw 70 Bradford BAMFORD, Herbert 72 Bradford However, as there was no real precedent, most Bradfordians accepted that the fire was a terrible piece of misfortune. BARRIE, ONT. "Thank you. It was nearly double the season's average of 6,610 and included 3,000fans in the ground's main stand. Forest Green new stadium going to be made out of wood. It's why he gravitated to London and the enclosed spaces, moving to Brixton when his first base became gentrified. [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. View Death Notice. A total of 56 fans died in the fire on May 11, 1985, in a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City, with around 265 more injured. 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. "Why should they not still want answers?" Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. The stand became an inferno in about 5 minutes. Previous warnings had also been given about a major . In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. Treatment of casualties and Burns Research Unit, Dramatisations, documentaries and published works, West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of accidents and disasters by death toll, List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll, "Hideous images linger after carnage of 'celebration' day", "Caught in Time: Bradford City win the Third Division, 1985", "EXCLUSIVE: Bradford's Valley Parade fire must be remembered like Hillsborough", "History of The Bradford Sling The Bradford Sling", "Bradford City football stadium blaze surgeon honoured", "Research centre to be living memorial to Bradford City FC fire disaster", "The Papers of the Popplewell Inquiry into Crowd Safety at Sports Grounds", "Popplewell Inquiry Bradford City Fire", "Bradford remembered: The unheeded warnings that led to tragedy", Joseph Canley summing up statement from test case court transcripts, Newspaper report from Sport and the Law April 21st 1989, "The Glasgow Herald Google News Archive Search", Los Angeles Times report on Bradford City test case findings, Court transcript from the test case brought by Susan Fletcher and Others against Bradford City and Others, "Bradford fire survivor attacks judge over Hillsborough comments", "The Story of the Bradford Fire: 'could any man really be as unlucky as Stafford Heginbotham? Fans flee to the pitch to avoid the flames in the wooden main stand, Mr Justice Popplewell, who led the inquiry into the fire, at the 'Turnstile Shrine' in the stadium (Rex), Martin Fletcher, author of '56: The Story of the Bradford Fire', A relative of one of the victims breaks down amid the ruins of the stadium (Rex), Thirty years after football's 'forgotten tragedy', the truth of what exactly happened when 56 people died in a fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium remains elusive, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Claims the disaster was started deliberately 'nonsense', Archives reveal the desperate rush to conjure an explanation, New evidence casts more doubt on verdictfirewas accident, BradfordCitystadiumfire: The untold stories of the 1985 fire, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 15% off selected items using this eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. As part of Bantamspast, Ian's actually hoping to dig a little deeper to find out just why some people choose to actively avoid Valley Parade completely on matchdays: "Perhaps we'll find out why they don't come. Amazing that just 18 days later the Heysel tragedy occured,a dark month for football. A brush fire that burned on Bradford Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Bethel Island burned 212 acres and two structures Monday, fire officials said. Criticising Bradford City during the case, Mr. Michael Ogden QC, highlighted that the Club 'gave no or very little thought to fire precautions', despite repeated warnings. On the recording are Dene Michael (Black Lace), The Chuckle Brothers, Clive Jackson of Dr & The Medics, Owen Paul, Billy Pearce, Billy Shears, Flint Bedrock, Danny Tetley and Rick Wild of The Overlanders. RIP. Moira Helen Hodgson (15) 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. JavaScript is disabled. Head of Sports Science: Greg Stebbings. The fire of 1985 will also certainly figure highly in Bantamspast, says Ian: "A chap rang me up about a week ago and he used to live on Cornwall Terrace, just at the back of the ground. by Spike Fri May 11, 2018 1:12 pm, Post That stand went up so quick youd think it was made of petrol. Police have revealed the identity of the man who they believe was responsible for . In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, celebrate United's League Cup win by listening to Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) Never seen the death roll that's horrendous the Ormondroyd family looks like Father and his two twins. I do not include the people currently running the club, who have always displayed a great, sensitive duty to the memory of those who died. (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. Elizabeth JONES. Horrendous. It occurred during a league match, on Saturday, 11 May 1985, killing 56 and injuring at least 265. Regional Scout (North): Ray Mathias. "Why is it coming out now? The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. [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. . The JCT600 Stand will be open as well during the day to give fans the opportunity for some quiet reflection on this day of remembrance. She told the schoolchildren how she had travelled widely in the years after her husband and sons had gone, how that helped sustain her, and how they must think to travel and discover the world too. Bradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21, was at the game that day in the main stand and remembers how something which initially appeared trivial quickly became a desperate situation. Comments have been closed on this article. The Valley Parade fire took hold, it has always been said, because a match must have been dropped into the reservoir of rubbish in the dark cavity beneath the main stand's seats. In the panic that ensued, fleeing crowds escaped on to the pitch but others at the back of the stand tried to break down locked exit doors to escape. The two sides met for the first time after the fire in April 1989, when they arranged a benefit match in aid of the Hillsborough disaster, at Valley Parade. A total of 56 fans died in the fire on May 11, 1985, in a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City, with around 265 more injured. But the scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldnt possibly imagine.. 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. And, before we knew it, the flames were racing down the whole stand. Ian says that Bantamspast is about much more than just the football: "It's where people come socially. Their initial aim at that time was to promote BCFC in the community by increasing the fan base and awareness of the Club. Felix Winspear Greenwood (13) Others werent so lucky and headed towards the exits at back of the stands which had been locked after kick-off and this is where the many of those who died perished in the inferno. ", ""This is more about the fans, the people and the ground - even the people who don't come to the ground."". [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. by Colburn_Claret Fri May 11, 2018 5:38 am, Post This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond . He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. Memorial ID. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. The deaths were preventable . "I think if we go out there and ask local people who've been in a house for 24 or 25 years, a lot of their memories will be about that. 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. For the book, we are looking to hear from people who were there but were children at the time, but could tell us their story.. The way football is run is, and always has been, scandalous. "I feel like I've been in my 20s for years," he says and his life now south-west London flatshare, single professional seems to reflect the world of a restive soul, struggling for an anchor. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. His son, Jack, plays rugby league for the Salford Red Devils in the Super League.[5][6][7]. But it is Bradford, so they are just lying there, dormant, on the file, along with the question of the nine Heginbotham fires. The Valley Parade stadium, long-established home to Bradford City Football Club, had been noted for its antiquated design . Then, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. Elizabeth Muhl (21) There was a documentary on local Yorkshire TV a couple of years ago, the guy who does the weather reports here was at the game as a youngster. It was Fletcher's mother, Susan, who had always said that she did not believe the fire was an accident and who talked of the other blazes at businesses owned or linked to Stafford Heginbotham, the Bradford City chairman of the day. The stadium was known for its antiquated design and facilities, which included the wooden roof of the main stand. Peter Anthony Halliday (34) A facility that holds and maintains Kearsarge Regional School District buses exploded into flames Thursday morning trapping two people inside. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. When Bradford City played Lincoln City at Valley Parade on May 11th, 1985, what should have been an afternoon of celebration quickly turned into one of the worst disasters ever seen at a British football ground. BBC West Yorkshire: Sport. The scene in there was one of silence and shock. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. However, when Bradford City won promotion to the highest level of English football, Division One, in 1908, club officials sanctioned an upgrade programme. These 3 users liked this post: Silkyskills1 tim_noone bobinho, I was closely connected to Bradford City and knew people who died in the fire. John Hutton (74) In respect to services offered in the Republic of Ireland, the Revenue Commissioners, under remote bookmakers License number 1013060 issued on 2nd July 2019. orty-year-old Gerald Ormondroyd also died that day, along with his 12-year old twin sons Richard and Robert, just two of ten families to lose more than one member at Valley Parade.. former Leeds United and England international Trevor Cherry. There were a lot of wooden stands in those days, PNE Bury to name but two. They are performed once every 10 years. The most horrific scenes ever on tv. 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