on: May 11, 2012, 10:28:10 am . "I wept with joy," she says. What started as smoke rising from a r. John Hughes (64) People who had escaped the fire then tried to assist their fellow supporters. A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated wooden stand, which had survived because the club did not have the money to replace it, and accumulated paper litter, were considered to have conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League. Tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the footballing world as today marks 31 years since the Bradford City fire disaster. The Documentary highlighted the 'poison pen letters' and graffiti targeted at the then club chairman Stafford Heginbotham over accusations that he was in some way personally responsible for the deaths of the 56 people who died at the fire.[54]. 18+. [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. 56 fans died as a fire broke out at the game at Valley Parade, 54 Bradford supporters and two from opponents Lincoln City. They were at fault, but the fault was that no-one in authority seems ever to have properly appreciated the real gravity of this fire hazard and consequently no-one gave it the attention it certainly ought to have received. Part of the service was also held in Urdu and Punjabi as a sign of appreciation to the local ethnically Asian Subcontinental community in Manningham, Bradford and around Valley Parade who had opened their homes to Bradford City supporters to provide assistance in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. And so it has been that while Liverpool supporters' refusal to accept the received narrative of Hillsborough the stadium disaster 40 miles north across Yorkshire in which 96 died has made it a source of anger and liberation at the heart of the national consciousness, Bradford became the forgotten tragedy. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. The stand had already been condemned, and the demolition teams were due to start work two days later. For the first-minute people were laughing and joking, it wasnt anything serious, he told the BBC in 2015. Bradford played its part in that. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. The main stand at Bradford was not surrounded by fencing, and therefore most of the spectators in it could escape onto the pitch if they had been penned in then the death toll would inevitably have been in the hundreds if not the thousands. 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. 26 years ago today. The largest volume of evidence stored there relates to the Department of the Environment's Fire Research Council the body responsible for providing scientific evidence for Popplewell. by Lord Beamish Fri May 11, 2018 2:35 pm, Post This biographical article related to association football in England, about a forward born in the 1960s, is a stub. The worst fire disaster in English football history played out on live television on May 11, after Valley Parade's main stand caught fire during a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City on . Regional Scout (Midlands): Stan Martin. A large fire involving thousands of scrap tyres in Bradford has caused school closures and travel disruption. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. His son, Jack, plays rugby league for the Salford Red Devils in the Super League.[5][6][7]. As Ian puts it: "Bradford's been on a big rollercoaster over the past ten years and previously. I remember watching it unfold on tv, it was heartbreaking. The 1985 inquiry into the tragedy headed by Sir Oliver Popplewell concluded that it was an accident, probably started by a spectator dropping a cigarette into rubbish that had accumulated under an old timber stand. [10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[19] ran onto the pitch to help evacuate people. by Lord Beamish Fri May 11, 2018 12:44 am, Post There is no malicious vendetta, there is no over-exaggeration, there are no trumped-up facts. BBC West Yorkshire: Sport. The files show how the possibility of arson was not even touched upon or tested. Thats when everybody else had the same thought. He survived but clearly his life was also shattered on that day. Still one of the two or three most haunting videos I've ever seen. [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. He says he wants people to "look back on it in decades to come and think that somebody did some good work here and that the local fans and local people showed what the club meant to them and how much the club meant to the local community. 56 fans died as a fire broke out at the game at Valley Parade, 54 Bradford supporters and two from opponents Lincoln City. BAINES, Alexander Shaw 70 Bradford BAMFORD, Herbert 72 Bradford BULMER, Christopher James 11 Burley-in-Wharfedale COXON, Jack Leo 76 Bradford COXON, Leo Anthony 44 Halifax CRABTREE, David James 30 Bradford CRABTREE, Harry 76 Bradford DEMPSEY, Derek 46 Morley [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. David James Crabtree (30) 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. [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. 25 years ago and I'm sure, like Hillsborough, it's still fresh in the mind of a . This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond . Many of the residents, who were mostly Bangladeshi, took people into their homes, brought out blankets and drinks and let them use their home telephones. Andrew Fletcher (11) [2] By 1911, his work was completed. Yes it is I try to leave a scarf and floral tribute on behalf of Burnley fans.and will do so tomorrow. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:41. Ian Ormondroyd (born 22 September 1964) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 350 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. Co-writer Matt Stevens-Woodhead had been asked to talk about the play to children at the local Parkside School a few weeks earlier and that had been the catalyst for Hazel Greenwood to return there too. He and the children all perished, along with the boys' father. Crews received a call to Stirling Crescent west of Highway 400 around 12:25 a.m. Saturday from a. Revealed: former Bradford chairman linked to at least eight fires before Valley Parade disaster Read more Six years later, Martin, then 27, set out to find the truth and started the 15-year quest. [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. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher, but his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed. 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. [4], Although there had been some changes to other parts of the ground, the main stand remained unaltered by 1985. The fundraising events included a reunion of the 1966 World Cup Final Starting XI that began with the original starting teams of both England and West Germany, and was held at Leeds United's stadium, Elland Road, in July 1985 to raise funds for the Appeal fund. Chartered Management Degree at the University of Bradford, alongside working full time in an equally . View James Ormondroyd's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. "When I read the Popplewell transcripts I could see they were processing 10-15 witnesses a day. Thoughts and prayers to the 56 who lost their lives in this truly awful and harrowing tragedy. Edith Hindle (79) Valley Parade re-opened on 14 December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 21 in a friendly. As CT mentioned earlier it is seeing the names of family groups who perished that day,having just probably set off as normal from home around lunch time for not just the game but the joy and excitement of a promotion party, that really gets to me. "In memory of the 56 people who went to the match on a Saturday and never returned home." Head Physiotherapist: Dayle Avison. It's with that in mind that Ian's Bantamspast project is underway in Bradford. by ecc Fri May 11, 2018 12:36 pm, Post Never seen the death roll that's horrendous the Ormondroyd family looks like Father and . At Valley Parade there are now two memorials. Once we went out it was mayhem, manic, chaotic. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Weekly Gab: Lower league sides to watch in the FA Cup. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He is quoted as saying: "I don't believe the statement of retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer at all. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover James' connections and jobs at similar companies. There was no appetite for a re-enactment of events, such as that which Dublin embarked upon when a fire at the Stardust nightclub fire in Arcane claimed 48 lives in 1981. RIP. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to "Why should they not still want answers?" contact the editor here. Gambling can be addictive. But it is Bradford, so they are just lying there, dormant, on the file, along with the question of the nine Heginbotham fires. -- Eleven people were injured, including four in critical condition, when a fire broke out at an apartment building in Bradford West Gwillimbury Monday afternoon. She said: Over the years, the story of the Bradford City fire has been told many times - the story of the supporters and the players, but one story that had never been told was the story of how the local people had helped. ", Bantamspast Initially, the fire appeared to be nothing more than a small blaze and was soon noticed by ITV commentator John Helm who was covering the game for Yorkshire Television that day. In 1999, ex-professional footballer, Ian Ormondroyd, was asked by the Club to lead and grow the Foundation. Valley Parade still marks the names of the 56 supporters whose lives were claimed in the fire: John Douglas Ackroyd (32) 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. Video via Citizen. He starts trying to explain what happened when the smoke filled the stand and he can't do it, just breaks down. 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. "I think the fire will play a big part in it. I go to the football with my two children (both adults now) and have done for many,many years. Please use the search above if you cannot find the record you require. Deborah A Ormondroyd. 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. He said: We just want to try to reach out to the local community around the ground and see if anybody out there that remembers the day can come forward and talk about it.. A PROJECT telling the story of the role of the community living near Valley Parade during the Bradford City fire disaster is appealing for residents to come forward. 6/22/2021 - AP 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. The playing area and stands were very basic but the ground had enough room for 18,000spectators. A large fire broke out Thursday morning after an apparent explosion at a commercial building complex in Bradford. Only now, in 56: The Story of the Bradford Fire (Bloomsbury, 16.99) has he completed a 15-year quest to challenge history's interpretation of why the fire broke out. These 2 users liked this post: Clarets4me Juan Tanamera. This is the kind of understated remembrance we have seen in Bradford these past few months, at the onset of another significant anniversary of the 1985 fire which tore across the local football club's old wooden main stand, reducing it to a collapsing inferno in a mere four minutes and claiming 56 lives. The community, principally Bangladeshi, had no links then to the football club and many could not speak English, but they still helped. Since 1903, when the club was formed, Bradford City Association Football Club had played their home games at the ground. 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. I walked past a public telephone outside the ground and there were queues of people waiting to ring home. We didnt know at this point if anyone had been killed. The school hall, like the theatre, was still and noiseless as the children listened to this passionate and indefatigable woman, whose family home should be full of the sound of many grandchildren, by now, but who is instead still seeking what meagre consolations she can find from the wreckage of Bradford's forgotten tragedy. Those lucky enough to escape, including players from both sides, took refuge in a pub across the road from the ground as friends and family members desperately tried to find their loved ones in the chaos. ";s:4:"text";s:3462:" Visit us for exclusive Galen Center Special Events throughout the year! The deaths were preventable . The drawing date is Jan. 1, 2023. It was the brainchild of Bradford City fan Lloyd Spencer with all profits going to the Bradford Royal Infirmary Burns Unit.[43]. Walter Kerr (76) [12] The work was expected to cost 400,000 (1.3million today). I saw the footage of the disaster as part of a fire training session and at the time it had been taken off any websites etc. Kit Manager: Dom Lister. due to the harrowing nature. From the tragic fire at Valley Parade in May 1985 to the club's slide from the Premier League to administration in more recent years, people will obviously have many memories of Bradford City FC - both positive and negative. Or for a full-blown 91-day inquiry like the one which investigated the 1987 fire at London's King's Cross St Pancras Tube station, though Bradford claimed twice as many lives. "Thank you. Within minutes the fire had spread through the stand due to the windy conditions with some fans claiming that they could feel their feet getting warmer as debris began to burn below them. The Bradford Disaster Appeal fund, set up within 48hours of the disaster, eventually raised over 3.5million (11.3million today). Many were burnt to death at the turnstiles gates, which had also been locked after the match had begun. Reading back the transcript in a 21st-century, Hillsborough Inquiry environment you expect this to be the moment when Popplewell pushes Woolley to elaborate. ", Ian Ormondroyd is searching for Valley Parade memories, A Bradford landmark - and a focus for many memories. Arsenal fanzine lives to fight another season, Donation to Islington Boxing Club proves to be a real knockout. 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. Ian says that Bantamspast is about much more than just the football: "It's where people come socially. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape while a man who was captured on television running across the pitch on fire later died in hospital of his injuries. Ran home and put the television on." Eric Hudson (72) The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were initially alerted. He established that there had been eight other fires at businesses owned by or associated with the entrepreneur, who > died in 1995, aged 61. Jack Ludlam (55) It provides football coaching and education to young people, works with youngsters aged between 16 and 18 on the National Citizen Service and has done several projects in the local community. The book also raises concerns about the speed of the inquiry and the fact that it commenced a few weeks after the fire and lasted for only a few days, whereas other inquiries into similar incidents, pre and post the Bradford fire, have taken years to come to fruition and months to be heard. "Why is it coming out now? [47] Scriptwriters of the play spent hours with the survivors and victims families. Comments have been closed on this article. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. "Official Featherstone Rovers RLFC Web Site First Team Squad", "Ormondroyd junior the 'big daddy' of the family at 17 stone", "Much-changed Featherstone ready for Bradford Bulls test", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ian_Ormondroyd&oldid=1015639568, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:00, 22 November 2007 (UTC), This page was last edited on 2 April 2021, at 16:48. 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. The 1985 Bradford City A.F.C stadium fire is regarded as one of the worst disasters in the history of British football. Supporters either ran upwards to the back of the stand or downwards to the pitch to escape. "It seemed that this should at least have been examined," Fletcher says. "Sometimes, it's more of a social thing than a football thing. I dont praise the Folk of Yorkshire cheaply, but their Dignity, Self Respect, and Stoicism is a great credit to them. RF 2FMDJ1J - Jake Trueman (6) of Castleford Tigers is tackled by Jack Ormondroyd (25) of Salford Red Devils. Published on 28/02/2023. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. "[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]. [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. But the scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldnt possibly imagine.. 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. The most horrific scenes ever on tv. The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the fire risk that the rubbish accumulating under the stand had posed. Arthur Hartley (79) That journey back to Lincoln was the quietest and most miserable I have ever known. He was helped out of the stand by other fans and spent a period of time in hospital. [11], The disaster also had a long-lasting effect on the fans. Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. In terms of property types, flats in Ormondroyd Avenue sold for an average of 43,868 and terraced houses for 78,013. Crowds on the pitch at the Valley Parade stadium after a stand caught fire Getty Images. Bradford Fire. The fans even say, 'I'm not particularly liking what I'm seeing on the field at the moment, but I enjoy the company of Billy and John'. By the time they got back, the whole thing had taken off. 10th Apr, 2021. From the tragic fire at Valley Parade in May 1985 to the club's slide from the Premier League to administration in more recent years, people will obviously have many memories of Bradford City FC - both positive and negative. BARRIE, ONT. If you need a guest pass please contact the ticket office at 480-727-0000 to make sure your seats are together. 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. Of the 56people who died in the fire,[2] 54 were Bradford supporters and two supported Lincoln. Gregg Ormondroyd, 31, grew closer to his wife Donna's carer, Anne Robinson Donna collapsed and stopped breathing two years ago and was put in a coma She was brought out of the coma later but has. Firefighters from across West Yorkshire tackle huge blaze A large fire involving thousands of scrap tyres has forced schools to close and caused traffic disruption in Bradford. We had to run up the stairs, through the office doors and out onto the street. Sylvia Lund Pollard (69) 56 football fans went to watch a match at the Valley Parade football Ground this day 27 years ago, and didn't come back. My mum said at the time of the Hillsborough Disaster, when it all came home to me, you're angry and the hate is eating you inside out.". -- A hotel under construction in Bradford is considered a total loss after a fire overnight. Jane Sampson (18) by tim_noone Thu May 10, 2018 11:42 pm, Post "I was out shopping in Bradford and he had gone to the match," she says. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy and one which I often think about and certainly will never forget.. A further 265 fans were injured in the blazes that day, and describe. Regional Scout (North): Ray Mathias. I've never seen anything like it. "[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. Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. I also knew the Club Secretary Terry Newman very well. by Herts Clarets Fri May 11, 2018 1:13 pm, Post He was actually one of the detectives involved in one of the gravest miscarriages of justices in the country, the murder of Carol Wilkinson in Bradford, where someone was locked up for 20 years for a murder he didn't commit."[60]. by tim_noone Thu May 10, 2018 11:53 pm, Post This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's April 13, 2010, 07:39:58 pm The Valley Parade fire. A capacity 6,000 crowd attended a multi-denominational memorial service, held on the pitch in the sunny shadow of the burnt out stand at Valley Parade in July 1985. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. The children were still nestled under the warden's thick overcoat when they discovered them. 24 Bradford City A.F.C. The unheroic obstinacy of the woman who refused to leave without her handbag "because my teeth are in it." Ive alway respected the quiet and dignified way that the Tragedy has been marked by the Club, the Fans(of both Bradford and Lincoln), and by Bradfordians in general. It's with that in mind that Ian's Bantamspast project is underway in Bradford. by Longside4evr Fri May 11, 2018 11:58 am, Post Never seen the death roll that's horrendous the Ormondroyd family looks like Father and his two twins. On the pitch, referee Norman Glover had no option but to stop the game as the horror unfolded in front of both sets of players who could feel the heat from the flames even from the other side of the ground. Samuel Firth (86) It has a black marble fascia on which the names and ages of those that died are inscribed in gold, and a black marble platform on which people can leave flowers and mementos. I have an image of a man with his hair on fire, in shock. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. HP10 9TY. The blaze, in the East Bowling area of the city, began at about 04:30 GMT. Together, flanked by undocumented supporters, they managed to clear all but one person who made it to the front of the stand. Today we remember the 56 fans who tragically lost their lives in the Bradford fire disaster 31 years ago.

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