Bradford fire - 37 years ago on May 11th

32 Years ago today.

RIP the 56.

I will never forget that day...i was at Dunfermline v Stranraer when i asked a guy behind me how charlton were doing, he said he didnt know but there had been a fire at valley parade...Not sure whether we had Man City away that day and got humped 5-1.

Got into the car after leaving Maine Road and couldn't believe what I was hearing on the radio. The defeat by City became totally insignificant and it was a very quiet journey home - all four of us were stunned that a fire could have spread so quickly causing such a large loss of life. I think the death toll was over 50 from memory.

RIP

I can remember it like is was yesterday, truly horrendous.

Redrobo said:

What was bad is that the owner that had several businesses go up in flames was never investigated. Lots of evidence apparently that the fire had been set.

Conspiracy theory I believe - not sure there was any evidence. Negligence most definitely.

Still makes me shudder. Horrific, 56 souls died for watching their team. The footage is terrifying the blaze spreads so quickly.

RIP never forgotten

Chairman had made insurance claims on EIGHT previous fires at various businesses and claimed millions; one hell of a sequence of bad luck, all though he did do well out of them all.

He had only just been told it would cost £2mil to make the stand comply with new promotion.

He was in financial trouble and would have been unable to pay his work force to the end of the month.

The club had been warned several times as to fire risk.

There was also other suggestions about the speed of the fire spread that is speculation.

None other than the fire risk warnings was heard at the massive 5 day enquiry.

Redrobo said:

Chairman had made insurance claims on EIGHT previous fires at various businesses and claimed millions; one hell of a sequence of bad luck, all though he did do well out of them all.

He had only just been told it would cost £2mil to make the stand comply with new promotion.

He was in financial trouble and would have been unable to pay his work force to the end of the month.

The club had been warned several times as to fire risk.

There was also other suggestions about the speed of the fire spread that is speculation.

None other than the fire risk warnings was heard at the massive 5 day enquiry.

I can't imagine any of the insurance companies involved paying out massive sums on several policies, all of which involved fire, to the same businessman, without doing a couple of background checks first.

Done. There was an interview with Gaby Logan about the fire in the Telegraph last week (might be paywalled, so if you can't get past the first couple of paragraphs give me a shout and I'll copy and paste it), and apparently there's a programme about it on BTSport tonight at 9.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/george-shipley?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=george-shipley&utm_campaign=pfp-tweet&utm_term=6b1cfadd3808470f835c7fa9914c1afe

Donated. 

Chippycafc said:

Truly dreadful day, will never forget the picture of the man trying to climb over the wall with either his coat or hair on fire. God rest those that perished and thoughts with their families. 

Worse was the poor bloke they focused in on who was just wandering around alight, before people in the crowd tried to help him by smothering him with coats etc.  I understand he died of the injuries, just a horrific sight and a horrible way to go.

RIP the 56 who died.

I know we moan about modem identikit stadiums and pine for the middle of housing, 4 different stands etc type stadiums, but thank goodness the new ones prevent things like the Bradford fire & the Hillsborough and Ibrox crushes.