Bradford Fire (1 Viewer)

[Deleted member 5849]

On this day 1985.

One of my earliest football memories, alas. A tragedy that sometimes gets overshadowed by Heysel, Hillsborough... but one that always rung out for me, where triumph and joy turned so quickly to tragedy.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

This is still worth a read

Bradford fire: The Valley Parade disaster 30 years on

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

On this day 1985.

One of my earliest football memories, alas. A tragedy that sometimes gets overshadowed by Heysel, Hillsborough... but one that always rung out for me, where triumph and joy turned so quickly to tragedy.

When I trained to be a ref they showed us the raw footage from start to finish. You see quite a few laughing around on the pitch while the fire develops behind them-it really is surreal to watch

 

[fernandopartridge]

When I trained to be a ref they showed us the raw footage from start to finish. You see quite a few laughing around on the pitch while the fire develops behind them-it really is surreal to watch

That clip was on YouTube but might have been removed now. Fire terrifies me but particularly seeing the speed at which it engulfed that stand.

Edit, found this. The sad thing is the gates weren't opened on time and most victims just burnt to death or suffocated trying to escape.




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[Covkid1968#]

Watched the backend of the full version with police commentary on YouTube and wished I hadn’t.

can’t get the scenes out of my head and it’s far too graphic for YouTube. The poor bloke walking around made me feel physically sick. It made me question myself as to why the hell I watched it...it started with me trying to fully recall this over shadowed event. But it was horrific and one of those occasions when you recognise what an absolute thoughtless idiot you have been. Thoughts should have been with all those families who lost people or who’s lives we’re so affected.
It must have had an impact back then as I bought the charity record but def lost its significance over the years compared to the other 2 big disasters in the 80s.

 

[Otis]

Watched the backend of the full version with police commentary on YouTube and wished I hadn’t.

can’t get the scenes out of my head and it’s far too graphic for YouTube. The poor bloke walking around made me feel physically sick. It made me question myself as to why the hell I watched it...it started with me trying to fully recall this over shadowed event. But it was horrific and one of those occasions when you recognise what an absolute thoughtless idiot you have been. Thoughts should have been with all those families who lost people or who’s lives we’re so affected.
It must have had an impact back then as I bought the charity record but def lost its significance over the years compared to the other 2 big disasters in the 80s.

Awful and yes, saw that poor, poor soul. Cannot erase that from my mind

 

[Skybluemichael]

Never seen that before so sad, amazing how quick it took, lucky they wasn’t caged in and could get on the pitch

 

[ovduk78]

There was a documentary on BT sport last night with Gabby Logan who was at the game as her dad was assistant manager of Bradford at the time and she interviewed her dad, 2 players, some policemen, a radio commentator, some fans and some who worked in the hospitals. It wasn't as graphic as that youtube video but it was terrifying & sad to watch. One policeman was trying to get the fans to come onto the pitch but they must have thought it was safer to go out the way they came in. Such a sad loss of life. I remember when we played Everton and won to stay up that there were collection buckets at the turnstiles.

 

[skybluesam66]

how were fences allowed after this - it is clear 100s more would have died if fences were at bradford
Hillsbrough should not have been allowed to happen after they saw this

 

[clint van damme]

Remember sitting in the Alhambra after getting back from Southampton away and hearing about it. This was pre internet.
To my shame I was laughing about it but didn't realise there had been fatalities, just thought they'd had to curtail their celebrations because of a bit of a blaze. Didn't realise the severity until the next day when I got up and picked up the paper. i couldn't believe it. It would be on Youtube within minutes now.

 

[Wyken Sky Blue]

It pisses me off that this gets overlooked every year, yet Hillsborough caused by a combination of fans without tickets and dodgy police always does.

Both are tragic incidents and the families affected should be thought about in both tradgieis, not just Hillsborough.

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[Grendel]

Wasn’t their something suspicious about the owner?

 

[MusicDating]

Wasn’t their something suspicious about the owner?

Businesses he owned suffered 8 separate fires on which he'd claimed on the insurance allegedly - The Bradford City tragedy... and the eight other blazes linked to ex-chairman.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Watched the backend of the full version with police commentary on YouTube and wished I hadn’t.

can’t get the scenes out of my head and it’s far too graphic for YouTube. The poor bloke walking around made me feel physically sick. It made me question myself as to why the hell I watched it...it started with me trying to fully recall this over shadowed event. But it was horrific and one of those occasions when you recognise what an absolute thoughtless idiot you have been. Thoughts should have been with all those families who lost people or who’s lives we’re so affected.
It must have had an impact back then as I bought the charity record but def lost its significance over the years compared to the other 2 big disasters in the 80s.

Among other things we were also briefed on was a wall collapse at St Andrews (I think). It’s the stuff of nightmares to place yourself in such a scenario and though we may gripe about stadium bowls at least those days are gone

 

[Covkid1968#]

Among other things we were also briefed on was a wall collapse at St Andrews (I think). It’s the stuff of nightmares to place yourself in such a scenario and though we may gripe about stadium bowls at least those days are gone

v Leeds.... young lad died if I recall correctly

 

[Frank Sidebottom]

Among other things we were also briefed on was a wall collapse at St Andrews (I think). It’s the stuff of nightmares to place yourself in such a scenario and though we may gripe about stadium bowls at least those days are gone

Yeah that happened the same day as the Bradford fire so kind of got overlooked, 15 year old Leeds fan from Northampton at his first game... was sheltering from the violence between the 2 sets of fans when a wall collapsed on him. There's video footage of the "match" out there somewhere (not of the wall collapsing), It wasn't a game of football but a mass brawl, Birmingham fans on the pitch constantly and Leeds fans locked in a massive cage in one corner.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Bradford fire of course was only 18 days before Heysel, pretty desperate month

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Yeah that happened the same day as the Bradford fire so kind of got overlooked, 15 year old Leeds fan from Northampton at his first game... was sheltering from the violence between the 2 sets of fans when a wall collapsed on him. There's video footage of the "match" out there somewhere (not of the wall collapsing), It wasn't a game of football but a mass brawl, Birmingham fans on the pitch constantly and Leeds fans locked in a massive cage in one corner.

Probably football’s darkest time at least in this country

 

[ovduk78]

Probably football’s darkest time at least in this country

Millwall riot at Luton was in march 1985

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Millwall riot at Luton was in march 1985

Read that Shrewsbury got denied a European spot because of Heysel-unfortunate that everyone was banned

 

[Grendel]

Read that Shrewsbury got denied a European spot because of Heysel-unfortunate that everyone was banned

Really?

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Really?

Welsh Cup, I assume

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Welsh Cup, I assume

Yeah, their spot went to Bangor City instead.

 

[Grendel]

Yeah, their spot went to Bangor City instead.

I thought English winners were never allowed anyway as they were not part of the welsh FA

 

[PurpleBin]

It pisses me off that this gets overlooked every year, yet Hillsborough caused by a combination of fans without tickets and dodgy police always does.

Both are tragic incidents and the families affected should be thought about in both tradgieis, not just Hillsborough.

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Was it?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

The speed is insane

 

[fernandopartridge]

Was it?

1991 is a Tory

 

[PurpleBin]

1991 is a Tory

No further explanation needed.

 

[oscillatewildly]

Millwall riot at Luton was in march 1985

That would be viewed as a slightly raucous tea party compared to the events of May in that year.