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Bradford stadium fire man on fire4/6/2023 ![]() ![]() Helm: "The scene became progressively horrendous, grotesque, and I was having to describe things you couldn't possibly imagine." Within five minutes the whole stand was engulfed in flames. Television cameras spotted the outbreak of fire in Valley Parade's main stand at 15:40 BST. "How quickly the fire spread is difficult to convey to people." Panic - 'I looked up and saw the flames' And then suddenly, in the space of 120-odd seconds, it really kicked in. "The referee blew his whistle to stop the game and told us to get back to the dressing room."īradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21 and stood in the main stand: "For the first minute people were laughing and joking, it wasn't anything serious. 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'. Hendrie: "Several minutes before half-time I saw there was a wee bit of bother. ![]() There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small." I asked the director to get the camera to go a little closer. Helm: "There was a throw-in in front of the stand where the fire started - something caught my eye. The game was goalless after 40 minutes when play was stopped. The game was irrelevant." Danger - 'Something caught my eye'īradford, playing into a strong wind, were struggling to break down a Lincoln side already safe from relegation. We wanted to record the trophy presentation. ITV football commentator John Helm, who provided live commentary of the unfolding disaster across the nation: "We wouldn't normally have covered that game - no question about it. "Then we ran out in our tracksuits each holding a massive card with a letter. We were given the trophy before the game in front of the supporters and had to do a lap of honour. "We went out on to the pitch and I could see so many happy faces. We went there to win the last game in front of a home crowd. The main stand at Valley Parade was built in 1911 and had not been upgraded before the fire in 1985įormer Bradford midfielder John Hendrie, who was playing in the match: "We had already won the league, all the hard work had been done. 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. The 1984-85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. Warning: Some readers may find parts of this content distressing. 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. The main stand at Valley Parade burned down after what was thought to be a dropped cigarette led to flames which engulfed the entire wooden structure. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. ![]() The team was presented with the Division Three championship trophy - their first trophy in 56 years - in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their match against Lincoln City. More than 250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football ground.īradford City were supposed to be celebrating on. ![]()
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