burning man bradford city stadium fire

He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. 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. Mr Antony Burrows said: 'One man was stood near me with his hair on fire. [10][16] More than 265 supporters were injured. 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 . 'They did not have a chance. 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'. Those who rescued people were themselves burned in the process. And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. It was an awful thing to watch.". Representatives from the fire brigade were due to go to the club tomorrow to inspect it and see whether regulations were being observed. Police removed the last body from the ground at 4 am yesterday, working under arc lights. "[59], Raymond Falconer's reliability had previously been questioned by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian who stated that: "The Bradford Telegraph and Argus described him as a 'top detective'. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. I looked down and I saw my hands melting. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. There was some kind of disturbance near the edge of a block of seats in the G section of the main stand. Earlier this year, Town gave up working in construction to pursue painting full-time through his business Stadium Portraits. [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. We didn't know how serious it was.". [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. 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. We couldn't breathe. The blame was through neglect, they didn't have the money to maintain the stand. He agreed that the inquiry into Bradford, led by the judge Oliver Popplewell, was inadequate and that there are many unanswered questions. Now they will begin another inquiry, into the cause of the Bradford fire. Owing to windy conditions, less than four minutes later the entire wooden stand was engulfed in smoke and fire. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. "I'm taking the opportunity to lay out the facts that were not laid out in 1985 at the time of the inquiry or the inquests. The blaze quickly engulfed the stand as Bradford played Lincoln City and claimed the lives of 59 people on May 11, 1985. 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. There were queues of people outside houses, which obviously wouldn't happen nowadays. It was later established that the blaze was caused by a fan who went to put his cigarette out but dropped it between the floorboards onto a . "The fire still has a big impact on people," Parker says. 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 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. Tarpaulin fell on them and stuck to their clothes and then ignited. 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. It was a gruesome sight to see bodies still sitting upright in their seats, covered in tarpaulin. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. ", On 26 January 2016, the IPCC declined calls for an investigation and published its full response online. 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. 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. "All I could see was eerie white lights that the fire brigade had set up and the smoke still in the sky. [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. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. He saw smoke coming from a small area of the stand and thought that someone had let off a flare. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. "I was in the main stand when the fire happened," he says. Spreading with almost unbelievable speed, a small fire under a wooden. The game was irrelevant.". The fire was described as the worst fire disaster in the history of British football, and the worst football related disaster since 66spectators died at Ibrox in 1971. Somebody looked round and grabbed me by the hood of my coat to pull me over. ', Sports reporters covering the game also spoke of the disaster. The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. 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. "That was the legacy of the tragedy. 'The smoke was very, very dense. ", IBT UK Morning Brief - Let the best of International News come to you. It slipped through a hole in the floorboard. They wouldn't let us because then people would get in the way of fire engines, ambulances and police trying to get in. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. 56 dead and hundreds more injured. I don't see that. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. "[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. 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. 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. Sir Oliver Popplewell, the High Court judge who led the Valley Parade inquiry in 1985: "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. I had no idea. It detailed the safety work which would be carried out at Valley Parade as a result of the club's promotion, admitting the ground was "inadequate in so many ways for modern requirements". A Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund raised 3.5m for the victims and their families. The fire started five minutes before half-time during the match on 11 May between Bradford and Lincoln City. " Burning Man," " Burning Man Project," " Black Rock City ", and . 1.7M subscribers in the CatastrophicFailure community. "But the feeling here is that it is hard to believe that someone would purposefully start a fire. 'I think that is unlikely,' he said. Those are the words of David Pendleton, a survivor of the Bradford City fire disaster, which happened 30 years ago. There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. 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'. "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. 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. I rolled over on my head, jumped up and ran off.". People pushed him to the ground and tried to smother the flames. It seemed to put it out. It is repeated across the country on BBC Two at 23:20 BST on Wednesday, 13 May. ", 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. The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. His son Christopher normally watches from the stand but on Saturday he joined other fans elsewhere. 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. That's when everybody else had the same thought. Wealso use analytics cookies that don't track usersto help us improve it. Those with longer memories will also think of the Ibrox disaster of . Soon they were all running for their lives. [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. Pendleton: "Many people still don't want to talk about the disaster. Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund had been set up and would eventually raise over 3.5m ($5.4m). From 50 to 60 yards away, it was burning our faces it was unbearable. [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. People were wandering around outside the ground in disbelief, reminiscent of an air disaster, at what had happened the day before. You could hardly breathe. Mr Delahunte was screaming into his microphone describing the scene until it became impossible to continue broadcasting. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. "Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" "It's therapeutic and I've met so many people through doing this." Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. Pendleton: "I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home to say: 'I'm OK'. [48] Profits from the play's run at The Edinburgh Fringe were donated to the Bradford Burns Unit. "Us players must have been in the tunnel for seconds - and I mean seconds. It was appalling that public money was given to the club while it was still owned by the same shareholders under whose direction the fire had happened. But many, including Harrison, believe it could unnecessarily reopen wounds if it does happen. He appealed to people to be patient while forensic experts identified bodies. Former Bradford midfielder John Hendrie, who was playing in the match: "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. It made me realise life is too short and I'm a happier person for it.". You may notice some big changes in Black Rock City this year. 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]. 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. 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. "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. [49], Parrs Wood Press published Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire (2005) by author Paul Firth;[50] the title refers to the estimated time it took for the stand to be completely ablaze from the first flames being spotted. Watch Missed Warnings on BBC One in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 22:45 BST on Tuesday, 12 May. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. 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. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. 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. At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. [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. He photographed the blaze from start to finish and the police will use this as evidence when an inquest is held. One family was in tears, the mother shaking. The fire at a Brooklyn lumber storage building sent plumes of smoke over Williamsburg on Tuesday. [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 51 other bodies of children, women and men were so badly burned that identification will take many days. My hands suffered the most because they were exposed the most. 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. The chairman of the football club, Mr Stafford Heginbotham, was near to tears as he explained what had happened. His most recent painting is a powerful image; two fans in Bradford and Lincoln City kits, surrounded by 54 other figures. BurningMan.NYC will announce the dates and process for the 2023 grant cycle on this site & all BurningMan.NYC social channels in early Spring. "When I got to one of the final walls, there was an eight-foot drop at the other side, concrete at the bottom. Martin Fletcher, whose brother, father, grandfather and uncle all died in the fire: "I'm taking the opportunity to lay out the facts that were not laid out in 1985 at the time of the inquiry or the inquests. Bradford City continues to support the burns unit at the University of Bradford as its official charity. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. Bradford council introduced its emergency plans procedure yesterday to give aid to many families affected by the disaster. Lincoln City chairman Bob Dorrian, centre, is joined by Former Imps Players Association chairman Trevor Swinburne, left, and chairman of the Red Imps. So I threw myself over the wall and luckily someone dived in to catch me before I hit the floor.". 05/12/15 AT 9:58 AM BST Crowds on the pitch at the Valley Parade stadium after a stand caught fire Getty Images Police have revealed the identity of the man who they believe was responsible. One man in tears said: 'He looked as if he was just going for a stroll. A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. Only then do you realise the huge network of people the fire involved. 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. Everybody in the city was devastated, but there was an amazing number of volunteers. The Bradford Burns Unit was set up by Professor David Sharpe after he received many of the victims following the fire. Club coach Terry Yorath incurred minor injuries while taking part in the rescue. An ancient wooden spectator stand and a dropped cigarette - the ingredients for one of Britain's deadliest soccer tragedies. By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. Fletcher has been the only survivor to publicly challenge the inquiry's findings. "The scene when I arrived was horrendous. 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. Hundreds more telephoned the police to try to trace relatives. A fire at a third division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City killed 56, including 11 children, and injured hundreds more. Ironically, off-duty firemen were at the ground selling raffle tickets for a charity football match which should have been held yesterday. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. Then flames licked the underside of the seats, which were a combination of wood and plastic. We had not been told anything.". 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 scene in there was one of silence and shock. Eight fires in the 18 years before the Bradford City fire were identified, many catastrophic and leading to large insurance payouts. Eighty names were unaccounted for and there were no positive indications about the cause of the fire. Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. Last edited: May 11, 2021 May 11, 2019 #2 JohnnyKills Full Member Joined Jan 8, 2016 Messages 6,902 Yeah footage is horrendous isn't it. [11], The fire escalated very rapidly, and flames became visible; police started to evacuate the stand. The next day work began on clearing the burnt out shell of the stand, and Justice Popplewell released his findings into the disaster. The plastic surgeon who treated the injuries of over 200, Professor David Sharpe, went on to set up a world-renowned burns research facility at the University of Bradford. People had walked through turnstiles and along a wooden corridor before descending the steps into their seats. It wasn't until later on when assistant manager Terry Yorath came in and said: 'It's not good.'". 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. More than 200 people were taken to hospital, many with terrible injuries. One letter from the council said the problems "should be rectified as soon as possible"; a second said: "A carelessly discarded cigarette could give rise to a fire risk." "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine.". 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. Although some attributed Lincoln City's sudden demise to the psychological effects of the fire on its players (together with the resignation of successful manager Colin Murphy shortly before the fire), it symbolised the wider crisis that the introduction of new safety legislation brought to Lincoln's Sincil Bank home. I'd seen the film on the Saturday but the bleakness of the stadium burnt out, and the gloom that afflicted everybody, was dreadful. "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. "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. The heat inside the stand literally ignited people where they stood. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Revealed: former Bradford chairman linked to at least eight fires before Valley Parade disaster, Martin Fletcher: Maybe the reason I am here is to finally reveal the truth, TheStory of the Bradford Fire: could any man really be as unlucky as Stafford Heginbotham?. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats, covered by remnants of tarpaulin that had fallen from the roof. Today, locals continue to raise money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in memory of the victims of the fire. 'The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. 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.

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