Bradford Fire Anniversary

This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond
Post Reply
ClaretTony
Posts: 67236
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32058 times
Has Liked: 5241 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by ClaretTony » Tue May 11, 2021 11:48 am

It's 36 years ago today since that dreadful fire at Valley Parade that took the lives of 56 people. A horrible day in English football and thoughts today with Bradford City and all those affected by the disaster.

Image

Silkyskills1
Posts: 5835
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:39 pm
Been Liked: 1672 times
Has Liked: 2507 times
Location: Rawtenstall

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Silkyskills1 » Tue May 11, 2021 12:33 pm

Just checking the names and ages on the memorial. An absolutely devastating incident. '56', written by Martin Fletcher, a survivor who lost four members of his family, is a truly sobering read of that awful day.

cricketfield73
Posts: 732
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:46 pm
Been Liked: 422 times
Has Liked: 440 times
Location: Nelson

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by cricketfield73 » Tue May 11, 2021 12:47 pm

I'm pretty sure that we were driving back from a 3-2 win at Walsall when the news came through on the radio. We had certainly been playing away.
There was a video of the whole disaster unfolding taken from live TV coverage which was one of the most harrowing things I've ever witnessed.
RIP to the 56.

Herts Clarets
Posts: 3925
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 6:18 pm
Been Liked: 1751 times
Has Liked: 468 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Herts Clarets » Tue May 11, 2021 1:05 pm

Truly horrific scenes from Bradford that day. I know for many years the footage wasn't available on line, for very good reason. I attended a course run by the Fire Service and they were allowed to show it. Most if not all the other attendees were not aware of the fire and had never seen it before. As it started, i apologised for interrupting and said prepare yourself for what you are about to see and keep an eye on the clock in the corner to see just how quickly the fire spreads. At the end of the showing, there was silence.

I, and i would guess a number of others were at Valley Parade 3 weeks before the fire for our game there, which from memory i think we lost 3-2 en route to relegation to the 4th division. Also on this day a young lad was killed at St Andrews after a wall collapsed amidst extensive trouble between Birmingham and Leeds fans. A dark day in what was a terrible year for English football, with the Heysel disaster following the Bradford fire some 2-3 weeks later.

Thoughts with the Bradford fans today and those who went to watch their side celebrate promotion and didn't return home.

Jakubs Tash
Posts: 2579
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:18 pm
Been Liked: 671 times
Has Liked: 244 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Jakubs Tash » Tue May 11, 2021 1:17 pm

It's said every time an anniversary like this comes around but nobody should ever go to a football match and never return.

A terribly tragic event.

bfcjg
Posts: 13097
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:17 pm
Been Liked: 4977 times
Has Liked: 6658 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by bfcjg » Tue May 11, 2021 1:21 pm

It is beyond comprehension with any modicum of intelligence why people were allowed to go into a bitumin and wood structure with smoking permitted.
Thank goodness such stands no longer exist.

SouthLondonexile
Posts: 562
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:35 pm
Been Liked: 84 times
Has Liked: 247 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by SouthLondonexile » Tue May 11, 2021 2:53 pm

An horrific event.
But ... even today there are tower blocks of housing which have been built using materials which given the right conditions catch fire with the same catastrophic outcomes as the Bradford fire.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67236
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32058 times
Has Liked: 5241 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by ClaretTony » Tue May 11, 2021 3:49 pm

cricketfield73 wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 12:47 pm
I'm pretty sure that we were driving back from a 3-2 win at Walsall when the news came through on the radio
We were - and still didn't have a clue of the enormity of it.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67236
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32058 times
Has Liked: 5241 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by ClaretTony » Tue May 11, 2021 3:51 pm

Silkyskills1 wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 12:33 pm
Just checking the names and ages on the memorial. An absolutely devastating incident. '56', written by Martin Fletcher, a survivor who lost four members of his family, is a truly sobering read of that awful day.
It's the Ormondroyd and Stockman names that always get to me - clearly dad and two sons with both families. Mums waiting at home and three never returning.

Colburn_Claret
Posts: 8057
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:30 pm
Been Liked: 3052 times
Has Liked: 5015 times
Location: Catterick N.Yorks

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Colburn_Claret » Tue May 11, 2021 3:58 pm

The day after I got married.
Sat in our B&B in Whitby, trying to comprehend it. The TV footage was truly awful, even without realising there were people who hadn't got out.
Tragedy somehow doesn't quite encompass it.

aclaretinstevenage
Posts: 1209
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:55 pm
Been Liked: 300 times
Has Liked: 725 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by aclaretinstevenage » Tue May 11, 2021 3:59 pm

I remember watching it on live news feed at the time in disbelief and horror, truly awful event.

R.I.P the 56

tim_noone
Posts: 17108
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:12 pm
Been Liked: 4384 times
Has Liked: 15117 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by tim_noone » Thu May 13, 2021 12:51 am

ClaretTony wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 3:51 pm
It's the Ormondroyd and Stockman names that always get to me - clearly dad and two sons with both families. Mums waiting at home and three never returning.
Go to Bingley cemetery often.....and never seen a flower laid on either father or sons Grave ever...they are side by side. Very Sad and can only imagine the mother/ wife suffering and pain.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67236
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32058 times
Has Liked: 5241 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by ClaretTony » Thu May 13, 2021 10:43 am

tim_noone wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 12:51 am
Go to Bingley cemetery often.....and never seen a flower laid on either father or sons Grave ever...they are side by side. Very Sad and can only imagine the mother/ wife suffering and pain.
You can't even begin to imagine how those left behind must feel, even more so when they've lost more than one close family member.

Silkyskills1
Posts: 5835
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:39 pm
Been Liked: 1672 times
Has Liked: 2507 times
Location: Rawtenstall

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Silkyskills1 » Thu May 13, 2021 11:31 am

Also when you realise that those people who tried to escape by going to the back of the stand(which was on street level) found exits locked and then literally had nowhere else to go. Absolute unthinkable horror.

tim_noone
Posts: 17108
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:12 pm
Been Liked: 4384 times
Has Liked: 15117 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by tim_noone » Thu May 13, 2021 1:12 pm

Silkyskills1 wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 11:31 am
Also when you realise that those people who tried to escape by going to the back of the stand(which was on street level) found exits locked and then literally had nowhere else to go. Absolute unthinkable horror.
That's as far as the father and sons got...sadly.

Tribesmen
Posts: 5054
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:15 am
Been Liked: 1176 times
Has Liked: 634 times
Location: Tibet

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by Tribesmen » Thu May 13, 2021 1:59 pm

ClaretTony wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 3:51 pm
It's the Ormondroyd and Stockman names that always get to me - clearly dad and two sons with both families. Mums waiting at home and three never returning.
Also 4 Fletchers

FCBurnley
Posts: 9654
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 3:56 pm
Been Liked: 1958 times
Has Liked: 1127 times

Re: Bradford Fire Anniversary

Post by FCBurnley » Thu May 13, 2021 3:41 pm

The worst part is it was an accident waiting to happen. And it could so easily have happened at many grounds not only Valley Parade. Too sad for words

Post Reply