American Reacts to The WORST Disaster in British Football: 1985 Bradford City Stadium Fire

[@mikeyjameslarkin]

I am a Bradford city fan and we remember the loss every year of this terrible event. You covered this in a very respectful way. Thank you for that

[@darylmcmanus1815]

Im a leicester fan this is very bad I can only imagine what use go through on every may the 11th

[@robparker1625]

I lost a few school friends that day.

[@Scooot1972]

Saints fan here. I remember watching this live. It still upsets me, so goodness knows what it does to you. Lets hope we never see the likes of this disaster again. R.I.P. 56

[@Jayyy2023]

Always Remember The 56 The 54 Bradford fans aswell as the 2 Lincoln City Fans Gone But NEVER Forgotten...

[@daftgowk1]

I remember watching it, people running with their hair on fire, will never forget that day. Still think about it every time i step into a stadium

[@charliegarnett2061]

This was a horrific incident, my neighbour was a firefighter that attended, he injured his head and lost his eye trying to find any survivors when a metal beam fell on top of him, he is very lucky that he didn’t die and is known as the local hero

[@rossgeorge245]

Me and my family are from Newcastle my mam remembers this disaster when the horrific images were shown on the news. Your neighbour is a true hero and legend by putting his own life on the line to save those who were trapped. To the 56 that perished. Newcastle Remembers.

[@tonycasey3183]

On a plus note - there was a doctor called David Sharpe who treated some of the burns victims in hospital. Because of the number of hand and arm burns, he realised that he needed a different type of treatment that was not available. He invented a type of sling that is still used internationally today and it is called The Bradford Sling because of the disaster that prompted its invention.

[@AJ-hi9fd]

We use the Bradford Sling regularly

[@eilidhwatson8406]

WOW! I did not know that is why its called the Bradford Sling!! fascinating.

[@iceb-akap77ice93]

This was horrible. I lived in a pub overlooking the stadium in 85. We lost customer's and friends in the fire. I will always remember this day. R.I.P to all that lost there lives.

[@beckyharrison1884]

I now live in Bradford, and I have friends and neighbours that were at the match, some lost loved ones. One legacy from this is Bradford Royal Infirmary is now home to one of the best burns units in the country.

[@chloejane298]

Hi JT. I’ve followed you for a while and watched many of your videos, this one immediately caught my attention. My Grandad was the policeman whose hair could be seen on fire on the TV coverage and his son, my uncle (a teenager at the time) was sitting in the opposite stand. This is a horrific event in our family history. Grandad suffered severe burns and now has lost almost all of his hearing due to the head trauma. We remember this event every year. My mum, who wasn’t at the game, still vividly remembers everything about that day. We’re thankful that Grandad was able to recover but it’s sad that not everyone was. Forever in my families hearts ❤

[@HielanYorkie]

This was hard for me to watch because I was there. I was 18 at the time and only survived because some guy picked me up off the floor as I was headed towards the turnstiles (the ones where quite a few died). To this day, I cannot stand the smell of smoke, and still have flashbacks, and I've not been near a football ground since.

[@_AstaLily]

Oh my gosh that’s so horrible My condolences that must have been horrifying for you

[@jess9875]

Omfg I’m so sorry! Glad your okay❤

[@tonywilliamson3532]

Mate I was 14 years old at the time and had been shopping in Bradford that day with mum and dad. We saw the thick smoke and didn't have a clue what was happening until listening to my dad's car radio. 3 of my school friends were there, fortunately they survived. Later found out that a family friend had perished. A shock for myself means nothing compared to the trauma of families whom lost loved ones that day.

[@mickohara7268]

Very similar story to yours, I was collecting the teas for the three of us, A guy helped me along the back near the turnstiles, where the coffee and teas were sold.

[@c0wbag49]

I remember watching it on TV as a kid, and it's pretty much always mentioned in every fire safety courses. Tragic event 😢

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

The worst football disaster before this was the 1971 Ibrox disaster which was a crush leading to 66 deaths and more than 200 injured. It led to the UK government starting to look at the safety of sports stadiums. Ibrox, Bradford City and Hillsborough led to the stadiums we see today with all their safety features. When I worked as police staff, I accompanied three German police experts on football violence and crowd control to meet police in Glasgow and see Ibrox and Celtic Park; they were shown the film of the Bradford City fire as part of the history of stadium design and the development of policing football crowds for safety. It would be worth looking at Ibrox and Hillsborough too as all three disasters led to legislation that completely changed stadiums and crowds.

[@vjaska]

What makes this worse is a similar incident happened a few years after on the London Underground at Kings Cross - cigarette plus dilapidated escalator plus dust and rubbish = fireball which led to people dying just like at Bradford. It led to cigarettes being permanently banned from the transport network - might be worth checking a video out on that

[@clivenewman4810]

I agree.1987 was England's year of death.Zeebrugge,Hungerford,the great storm as well.

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

No it didn't. It was already illegal to smoke there.

[@williamdom3814]

The policeman with his hair on fire is the image that will always stay with me.

[@garethfranks4223]

yep correct.....people just ignored the new law and continued to smoke anyway@@wallythewondercorncake8657

[@harrymarshall]

​@@wallythewondercorncake8657it was a lit match ,, someone had lit there cigarette but allowed the burning matchstick to fall beneath a wooden escalator

[@carolineskipper6976]

That was truly terrible- I remember watching it on the TV news- that afternoon..... You should really also look at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, another awful football related tragedy. The controversy over the blame for that rumbled on for decades, and has left a lot of bitterness. Both of these dissters led to changes in the way stadiums in the UK were set up, built and managed.

[@fionabarr6064]

I saw this live on tv,it was horrendous. I saw an old man running with his hair on fire,awful 😢😢😢

[@brummieinbristol522]

or the Ibrox Disaster. I remember seeing the Bradford City and Hillborough tragedies on the news at the time. even after all this time it still feels raw. on a non-sports theme Grenfell and Kings Cross Station are worth examining

[@teresacousin507]

Yes another horrendous disaster that should never have been and just 4 years after this one but took years for the fans and families to finally be cleared of blame an officials were at fault all along you should check out the stories of those from the 1989 disaster it is still raw to this day hence more meaning to the words you will never walk alone

[@CeleWolf]

Definitely these suggestions...plus the fire under the escalators in the tube if someone can remember the details to search for.

[@louburnett6782]

I was 13 when I watched this live on tv - I will never forget the policeman with his hair on fire and the man seen walking on the pitch fully alight. Maybe this was one reason I worked in Health and Safety all my career. May they all RIP.

[@colin3246]

This is also the memory of watching the game live, that I have.

[@RJW1967]

Me too, just awful scenes very rarely repeated for obvious reasons.

[@daviddogsbody]

Same for me. It was the speed the fire developed. I remember the commentator “That poor man”

[@timdyer5903]

That's my memory too.

[@djphillips1976]

I actually got shown this on video as part of a Health and Safety course back in the late 90's when I worked in a warehouse

[@marcdoyle9504]

I'm a Bradford city supporter I was born in the April of 1985 and I've 2 children I make sure that they know of our clubs history and we always go pay our respects to those who lost their lives every single year on the anniversary the 56 who died will never be forgotten in Bradford and I'm proud to say we have a memorial service every single year on the anniversary of this tragic event nobody should go to a football game and never go back home R.I.P the 56 gone but never forgotten

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

I remember on 11th May 1985 seeing a fire engine rush through Shipley where I live. It's about 3 miles from Bradford. My family wondered what was happening. We soon found out. My friend Margaret came to my house and said there had been a fire at Valley Parade. But we didn't know how bad it was until we were at a classical music concert that evening, and the Lord Mayor of Bradford asked for a minutes silence to honour the dead. I remember thinking 'What! People are dead!' I shall never forget seeing the body bags on the way to work on the Monday and the relief when all my workmates, avid City fans, were all alive, but shocked. A couple I knew died. They were disabled and couldn't get out quickly enough. I had been at a Tupperware party with the wife only the Friday before. Also a young man with Downs syndrome called Roger, very well known in my home village, died. 56 people dying in a city of 65,000 means that nearly everyone knows someone who died in that fire. One of the worst weeks of my life. RIP Gordon, Irene and Roger.

[@ChimpManZ1264]

These fire disasters were pretty common place in the 80`s. Kings Cross Tube station also went up in flames after a cigarette ignited rubbish under a wooden escalator and dust in the passageways carried the blaze. These incidents called for rapid changes where smoking could no longer be allowed on mass transit and public venues.

[@andrewmorris4101]

Yes very similar accumulation of rubbish a careless smoker then disaster.

[@geoffwright3692]

1985 was a tragic year for football, with Heysel just a couple of weeks later. Both that and Hillsborough are definitely something for JT to take a look at.

[@gleadhill79]

Hillsborough will knock him for six! It still gets me and our law degree covered it in one of our modules, so tragic.

[@Hugh.G.Rectionx]

@@gleadhill79 Hillsborough was entirely the fault of drunk liverpool yobs

[@tombombadil66]

​@@Hugh.G.Rectionxcompletely untrue.

[@Posie-hg1ze]

@@Hugh.G.Rectionx it has been proven that it was entirely the fault of Yorkshire Police!

[@Mattd252]

@@Hugh.G.Rectionx you’re so far off the mark and you know it. The Hillsborough disaster was caused by poor planning on the part of the authorities involved and the poor management of the event itself. The behaviour of the fans had zero influence on the disaster and you should be ashamed of yourself for claiming it did.

[@nickprince8611]

Years ago, I worked at the Central Pier in Blackpool .... we were made to watch the full uncensored version of the fire. Reason being, the pier was made of wood. But I've never forgotten it. It was horrific.

[@markmulligan1309]

When I joined the airforce we had to watch a video of this as part of a fire training lesson . A girl who’s dad died in the fire was in our group and ran out of the room crying. So sad.

[@Parker_Douglas]

Snap believe it or not my mum had to watch this as part of her work related health & safety too in Scotland. Must be a Uk thing then ,

[@Parker_Douglas]

Ps. My mums job was she was the head supervisor in a high school.

[@ajayramtohul]

I watched it in a fire training session. It’s a hard watch but I think it does help teach the importance of understanding how fires can spread so quickly.

[@alch3mi5t.]

Must be Fire Training throughout the UK, I've had it too. It should be part of the training worldwide if it isn't. The speed it took hold is breathtaking in real time.

[@mattharrison9621]

The image that has stuck in my mind from that video, is the one where a man is seen walking casually away from the burning stand, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is entirely engulfed in flames (like a Hollywood stuntman). Policemen and fans can be seen making frantic efforts to put him out. His agony can hardly be imagined...horrific...

[@LeedsZeppelin]

My father was a firefighter based at Bradford Central Fire Station on Nelson Street. He was on the first fire engine at the scene. He has always claimed that the club had prior knowledge of the dangers, and could have prevented this disaster. I also know others that were at the game including one safety steward who's duty it was to lock the gates to stop people sneaking in. All are still traumatised by the events that day. It's easy to forget how many were severely injured but survived. It is no coincidence that Wakefield's Pinderfields hospital became a world leading burns treatment centre, and Bradford University have a world renowned Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit. There was even a sling developed, called the Bradford Sling, designed to even spread the pressure on burns and other sensitive ailments. This sling has been universally adopted throughout the world. The Bradford City fire had a huge impact on the people of the city, and still affects many people today. The 56 are still remembered, as are the others that still suffer. The 1980's was a bad decade for English Football, with the Hillsborough disaster happening less than four years later.

[@Punchgirl4]

I remember watching this live on TV. The afternoon sports show ( I think it was “Grandstand”) was on and suddenly the announcer said something like, “And now we’re going over to Bradford where it appears a fire has broken out” or words to that effect. Suddenly we saw the first images of what looked like a small fire in the stand. Within moments it became clear that the fire was spreading rapidly and that people were desperately trying to escape from its path. I remember the mounting tension and kind of panic in the voice of the commentator as neither he nor us viewers could believe what we were seeing. I remember the horror of seeing people on fire and others trying to rescue those who were fleeing, helping them over barriers and onto the pitch. At the time we had no idea that many people were dying around the back of the stand due to locked exits, but I do remember seeing people still in their seats unable to get away. The images are still vivid to this day. It was truly a devastating event. May all those lost rest in peace.

[@nigelburrell7743]

I watched this live on TV and some of the things I saw I will never forget or discuss. I do remember one key image of a policeman running away from the inferno with his hair alight, and I recall the TV announcer in tears as he tried to process what he was seeing live in front of him…

[@davepatsson]

I remember seeing that policeman, horrifying.

[@jacobcooldudeyo]

my mum told me that story too. (the policeman)

[@speleokeir]

Me too. The speed it all happened was horrifying, one minute a few wisps of smoke the next thing the whole stand fully ablaze. It seemed unreal at the time. I remember the policeman, plus some unfortunate soul running out on fire.

[@Paul66Rutter]

It was only shown live on the news which interrupted the Saturday sports shows. Live football cannot be shown on Saturdays between 2.45 and 5.15 to protect the live attendances. The only exception being the cup final and international matches.

[@chloejane298]

That policeman was my Grandad - PC Britton. He suffered severe burns from this, and had to have skin grafts onto his hands after trying to put out the fire on his head. His hair burnt off of course and he suffered trauma-related hearing loss. Every year we remember the anniversary and my Mum gets upset each 11th of May. We daren’t mention the fire around Grandad. He’s still going strong - he’s elderly now but he’s a fighter. His hearing is almost all gone but he doesn’t let it stop him living life to the full.

[@DIDCOTTWIST]

What makes Bradford so sad is a lot of those who died went to the doors at the back of the stand but found out they were locked.

[@Parker_Douglas]

That is tragic really 😢poor soles my mum lost a sister in a house fire back in the 80’s before smoke alarms it’s devastating.

[@Taylor23890]

@@Parker_Douglasmy partner’s grandmother lost her two sisters in a fire . Also a fireman died , he was carrying one of the girls down the ladder when hit by debris causing them to plummet . Her and her mother survived

[@lynette50]

In Scotland they use this video for our fire martial and security training. When I saw it I wept. The video they use is so graphic. People being escorted away from the fire as they are on fire, kids being passed over fences, unconscious. It really hits home. I am now a fully trained UEFA steward and fire martial due to the footage in this video. And people wonder why there is no smoking in grounds or flares or other pyrotechnics of any kind. Yet they still bring them in. Or try to...

[@Lisa_S63]

What made this even worse was most of it was shown live on TV as it happened as the game was being televised. The poor commentators just had to keep talking while watching this all unfold, there were people on fire and everything. it was horrific. The live footage is on YT but it's a tough watch. This and the Hillsborough disaster changed everything about football stands and safety procedures in the UK but should never have happened.

[@lyncohn9505]

The game wasnt being televised. The cameras were there to see them collect a trophy after the game

[@Paul66Rutter]

The game was recorded for broadcast on the Sunday football show.

[@lyncohn9505]

@@Paul66Rutter They were just going to broadcast the presentation, its amazing how many people think it was shown live

[@keithgrant7950]

Another disaster caused by lit rubbish was The King's Cross fire which was a fire in 1987 at a London Underground station with 31 fatalities, after a fire under a wooden escalator which was caused by a dropped match igniting the debris under the stairway. Tiss was just two (2) years after the Bradford fire.

[@Omgxhunter]

If you found this interesting JT I also recommend checking out the Hillsborough disaster.

[@Hugh.G.Rectionx]

difference is those that died in the bradford fire werent to blame. drunken scousers shouldnt have been there causing trouble without tickets, storming into the ground

[@arwelp]

@@Hugh.G.RectionxStop spreading that bullshit about Hillsborough. The Inquiry definitively found that the fans were not to blame, and that story you’re pushing was cobbled together by South Yorkshire Police to deflect the blame from themselves, who were really responsible, and propagated by their friends at The Scum newspaper,

[@Taylor23890]

@@Hugh.G.Rectionxhow did they storm in to the ground given that they had to go through a very limited number of turnstiles 🤔

[@dannyadams4765]

@@Hugh.G.Rectionx I'm a Wednesday fan and that's a lie still believe what the lying scum newspaper saying shame on you

[@polreamonn]

Ignorant comment.@@Hugh.G.Rectionx

[@onbedoeldekut1515]

When I took a fire marshal course, we had to watch the unedited footage of this, which helped us learn about how fire moves and grows. It was harrowing. The heat was so intense that some of the people who thought they'd escaped were walking about the pitch with their organs still cooking from the inside out. The footage was worse than the retelling, and it was even worse for those who were there.

[@richardwoodward8476]

The thing that makes this terrible event even more tragic, is that the vast majority escaped onto the pitch. But many tried to go back through the turnstiles, which were locked, leaving no escape. Absolutely tragic. RIP to the 56 souls.

[@kiwitrainguy]

Most of the deaths were in those tunnels.

[@Shagyamum]

I'm from there. Still a major event. My dad's 11 yr old mate died there. Leeds fans mocked the fire a year later and it caused a full on riot.

[@LeedsZeppelin]

As a Leeds fan who has close links to Bradford and the Bradford City Stadium Fire, I find it embarrassing to be associated with those at Odsal in '86.

[@markcranmer5484]

Yes, I was at that game and remember the disgraceful behaviour of a minority of Leeds fans @@LeedsZeppelin

[@redman6T8]

Every health and safety course I’ve been on they show the full video of this disaster in real time. It was horrific, but totally avoidable. RIP those 56 poor souls.

[@daijay9084]

I remember sitting at home with my father watching this disaster unfold live on television, uncensored. It's a scene that is etched on my brain. Over the years you see and experience many things and most of them fade over time but the sights shown on that day are as clear in my head as when they happened. Hopefully the lessons learned that day will prevent a reoccurrence in the future.

[@bepto4877]

I still remember watching this live on TV. We were sat eating lunch watching the game, it was so shocking to watch. I was also in Hillsborough stadium on the day of that disaster, luckily I was in a different stand to where the crush was.

[@_AstaLily]

That’s crazy that you were in Hillsborough, I hope you didn’t lose anyone that day

[@bepto4877]

@@_AstaLily I didnt, I live in Sheffield & as a Wednesday fan managed to get a ticket for the Kop which was where the Forest fans were. At the time I worked at the Northern General hospital which is the nearest large hospital to Hillsborough - I went straight there to help out after leaving the ground.

[@_AstaLily]

@@bepto4877 oh wow

[@esmith917]

Damn JT this brought back someone painful memories son, I was friends with both the boys Felix and Rupert who died trying to escape with an overcoat. The narrater also failed to mention that their father Peter also perished when he went back into the ground in an attempt to rescue them. They are sorely missed!!!

[@neowolfsden]

Almost twice that died at Hillsborough. There have been some pretty bad stadium tragedies over the years :(

[@atay6413]

As a Bradfordian and City fan this still hits home.

[@fingerprickinggood]

Same

[@inthapipeline]

Not a football fan but a Bradfordian. I remember seeing the smoke. Such a tragedy still impacts even those who don’t follow the sport.

[@miserablemozz8714]

I remember the coverage, as the BBC had cameras at the ground to report on what was meant to be a celebration and the crowning of the champions. They were graphic. People running from the stands on fire, people just laying on the ground, either unconscious or dead. It was horrible.

[@briwire138]

I remember watching this live on TV. When a poor old man walked onto the pitch in flames from head to foot, the TV link was cut. Many stadiums were just as bad as this and it led to a nationwide rebuilding plan to what we have today.

[@markcranmer5484]

I was in that stand at the previous home game. I had been going to matches there since I was five years old. The only reason I was not there on the day is because I was broke and couldn't afford a ticket. I saw the inferno however, I was on the 42 bus, which went down Bolton Road. You could see the stand in full view from there and I saw the inferno. When I got to my friends house in Great Horton, it was all over the television. A terrible day. RIP the 56.

[@judithdrake9688]

I still live just outside Bradford and I remember that day well. In those days my husband played local league football but didn’t have a game that afternoon so he’d gone out to find a match to watch. I didn’t know where he’d gone and although I was horrified at what had occurred, I was selfishly thankful it wasn’t to the City match. An older neighbour of my parents did go to that game and I don’t think he ever truly recovered from the trauma.

[@copiousfool]

I'm from Bradford and can vividly remember seeing the smoke and flames, I was 10 and it was horrific. After the fire the local hospital became a world leading burns unit and experts at reconstructive plastic surgery after fires. I'm not a Bradford City fan but I still think that Bradford City are linked to the burns unit as their charity partner.

[@billydonaldson6483]

When I went on a Health & Safety course many years ago this was one of the videos that was shown to us. Some of the fans escaped the fire only to find the exits locked, their only escape route then was to run back through the flames. It’s sad to say but change only comes following tragedy such as this. Exit doors in public venues such as theatres etc. open outwards these days following the Victoria Hall disaster in my home city that saw the deaths of 183 children crushed to death when the doors opened inwards.

[@chrislawley6801]

I don't understand why exits were locked unless to stop people getting in without a ticket. So much has been learnt though Hillsborough showed so much more .....

[@mama_bexx]

I had to watch this as part of my fire training for work x😢

[@JustMeUpNorth]

That was such a frustrating thing to look at on the plans of the Main Stand that burnt - there was only one exit freely available that had doors opening outwards. The others all opened inwards (impossible to use in a crowd) or had turnstiles in front of them. Doors that opened outwards, including the ‘crash bar’ latch system to open and close the door, were invented after the disaster you mentioned at Victoria Hall - and that was more than 100 years BEFORE the Bradford City fire, over 30 years before that very Main Stand was built. It’s enraging to see the absolutely lack of common sense or simple forethought for safety. We really were treated like cattle at football games at this time, as nothing more than troublemakers. Our safety was seen as unimportant because any problems were our own making for being ‘hooligans’. It was a hard time to watch football :(

[@matthewrowntree8861]

im from Leeds originally but work and live in bradford, and see this stadium on a near daily basis, ivd worked with relatives of the deceased ofthis disaster, ❤rip

[@marcussmith1768]

I was not at the game or even a Bradford fan, but I did watch it on television as it was happening. It was traumatic to say the least. My deepest ingrained memory was watching a policeman with his hair on fire escaping the stand, and sadly someone fully ablaze walking onto the pitch and people desperately trying to put on the flames, I do not know if they survived. I was also unlucky enough to watch the Hillsborough stadium disaster live on television too... RIP to all that perished in both of those terrible disasters.

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

Remember that happening live as BBC sports programme Grandstand cut to the story. I grew up in the 80s and there were a number of landmark tragedies Bradford fire, Heysel, Hillsborough, Lockerbie, Kings Cross, Clapham Rail disaster, Marchioness pleasure boat, Brighton bombing, Zeebrugge Ferry, Manchester airport etc. All worth looking at

[@Posie-hg1ze]

I remember watching this on TV. It was horrific.

[@audiocoffee]

same. I walked in as the fire started. my dad was just sitting there. I asked what was wrong, he just pointed at the tv and I watched in absolute horror.

[@Posie-hg1ze]

@@audiocoffee Same, I was 10. Smoking was banned in stadiums after this.

[@martinsear5470]

I was 14 and I still recall seeing this on TV.

[@jimmy-stourbridge-fc8980]

On that same day aswell a fan was killed at the Birmingham v Leeds game. Also Bradford City was originally a Rugby League club called Manningham. After the Fire they moved to Odsal Stadium which is a Speedway & Rugby League ground.

[@sonic_of_atlantis]

A story my mother told me a few years ago. Her and her father were watching the match and my uncle, her brother, wasn't home. They thought he'd gone to the match and the screen showed someone burning who they thought was my uncle. Fortunately, he came home having not even been at the match and is still alive today. But that doesn't take away from how awful a disaster it truly was. However, I can't in good conscience say that it's the worst football disaster in our country's history; myself and many others will say that Hillsborough was worse. (No I'm not trying to make this a competition I have got some decency inside kept cold heart)

[@beach4000]

Bradford, for me, was far worse. I remember it well. Hillsborough, first I remember hearing about it was three years after it happened.

[@sonic_of_atlantis]

@@beach4000 I see where you're coming from but my point is worse comes down to the death toll and how long it took to answers to forward. Sorry if this comes across as insulting, that wasn't my intention

[@GirlyHR]

I was 9, where I lived we could see Valley Parade and I ran it to tell my dad it was on fire. He told me not to be daft, Bradford were playing! He came out to look and we went back in the house to watch in horror as the stadium burnt. Whether you're a football fan or not, this is something remembered by the entire city.

[@TheSentinel86]

As a native from Bradford, this incident has a memorial in the city centre, and there was a memorial tapestry done a year and a half after the fire, and hung at my middle school (Parkside middle). It was such a defining moment in the city ❤

[@NicholasJH96]

Besides the Australian tourists & Yorkshire council they weren’t the only two blame the chairman knew so even tho he died he was also party responsible for other supporters dying.

[@climbingbow]

shame the still didnt do it in parkside i grew up in denholme and went there but they didnt have that anymore when i was there

[@TheSentinel86]

@climbingbow shit that's awful! I was the last year 8 in the school before it got revamped into the high school (I went to Bingley Grammar for year 9) so it probably got removed then 😞

[@climbingbow]

@@TheSentinel86 yeah i started there around 2010 and new building was there after the revamp, just lost all the history of the place same with stockslane primary when they re did that

[@bigborrisiii2152]

My step dad used to go to the games with a family friend. That day he didn’t go because he was playing rugby. The man he was supposed to be going with sadly lost his life. RIP 56 ❤️

[@yorkshirebhoy4049]

I used to work in event security, and we had to watch the raw footage of the fire. We also learned about Hillsborough and Ibrox.

[@steveromain1239]

When I trained as a steward I had to watch the video of the fire I remember it clearly today as when the day it happened

[@HoIIandC]

My mum told me her old boss helped pull people from the fire and severely burned his hands. Apparently he drove home after the incident completely in shock and his hands melted into his steering wheel. He wore gloves for the rest of his life

[@Sarah-si8gs]

I was 6 years old living in Bradford at the time. Quite apart from the devastating loss of life and shock of the whole thing, this event affected Bradford for a long time. Most people knew someone who died and the fact that you saw people dying almost live on television made it worse. I remember having nightmares and I wasn't in the stadium.

[@AutoAlligator]

Most football stadiums did not have seating. They were concrete steps that men stood on and cheered their team on. You could drink a beer, smoke and kids where everywhere. (I was one of the kids)... Bradford stadium was very unusual. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Now you can't drink, smoke or have kids running around.

[@DaddyChannie]

Very sad to watch. My mum was there when it happened, she got out and some other friends but 2 of her friends didn't 💔 she always talks about it. She's not been to a match since

[@Robadine-he7cp]

Yes you can still be a player-manager, it's just not done that often. Very rare in fact. The seats look like something off the Titanic, hard to believe this was the 1980's. Stadiums had been badly looked after, no health & safety back then. This disaster and Hillsborough would change all that.

[@foshie1962]

I still remember watching the coverage on that awful day - the live tv stream showed people running onto the pitch on fire. Really disturbing. But the same thing happened with the Kings Cross tube fire in London, attributed to a burning cigarette falling through the escalator - that was the start of the smoking bans on the underground

[@neilanyon4792]

Bradford City fan here. I normally sit in the Midland Road stand, directly across from the main stand that burned down . The fire was before my time as a fan, but there is not a single time that people visit Valley Parade without giving a thought to 11th May 1985.

[@IanDarley]

I remember I was shopping in town when this happened, I watched it live on a TV in a shop window with my mouth open in disbelief. It was shocking seeing people just walking in a daze with their hair on fire being tackled to the ground by police.

[@grahamdhudson]

I sat and cried listening to this happening on local radio. I live 20 miles away

[@adamcoope8726]

My aunts brother in law was the captain of the Lincoln team and was on the pitch throughout. I’m a fire behaviour instructor in the Uk and have used this footage over the years as a case study. The turnstiles at the rear of the stand were locked and when the hot gasses in the roof space ignited they were trapped, unable to descend the steps down to safety.

[@michw3755]

I was 18 when this happened & was ironing my dress ready to out that evening & the only thing on telly on Saturday afternoon was sport so I had this on in the background when I heard the distress of the commentators only to see people running on the pitch with their hair on fire it was so shocking, I also worked with a guy who's dad died that day & my cousin who at the time of the inquest had only just turned 18 served on the jury. Also a lot of money was raised for the families & survivors but my friends mother gave it all to family as she couldn't spend it knowing how she got, it was such a sad day for Bradford

[@davestainer8576]

This was not the worst disaster in English football. The 96 Liverpool fans that died at Hillsborough was worse.

[@Posie-hg1ze]

What made that worse was the fans were blamed for so long. Yorkshire Police and Margret Thatcher have a lot of blood on their hands.

[@moonramshaw1982]

97 victims now.

[@Em45567]

*97. Also can we not make it a competition, both disasters were awful and devastating. People died regardless, lets have some respect ❤

[@sconaldo7]

Define worst ? People died. Innocent people ,neither is worse. This happens alot competing over who had it worse, Munich, Hillsborough, Bradford. They're all awful and a loss to football.

[@zo7034]

@@sconaldo7 Not sure about you, but id rather less people died. Seems like you don't mind whether 2 people or 2000 people die, psychopath.

[@kimj6369]

This is one of the worst, but sadly not THE worst disaster in British football. The 1989 FA cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest, held at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield saw a fatal crush that resulted in 94 deaths on the day, another in hospital the next day, and two more in 1993 and 2021 that are included in the death toll. Police lied, and the newspaper that was complicit in spreading the slander is still not welcome in Liverpool. Justice for the 97! There was also a disaster at Ibrox stadium in Glasgow. Two, in fact, with 25 killed in 1902, and 66 deaths in 1971.

[@marcusfranconium3392]

This film is still shown at naval damage control and fire accademies , to show how fast a fire can envelope a building and how important the first 3 to 5 minutes are to react.

[@markcampbell7332]

I'm from Bradford, was 4 years old at the time and I remember clearly the concern of my family as it happened. Everyone in the city knew someone that was there that day. May they all rest in peace.

[@harrymarshall]

Kings Cross fire of 87 and Grenfell Tower fire of 17 were both brutal 😔🕊️🕊️🕊️

[@siboyle4690]

Like many others commenting here, I too remember watching this live as it happened. I was 13. Even now i can remember my mum in tears as one man walked out engulfed in flames, a horrific sight. Thankfully, disasters like this have led to increased safety since then but what a price to pay for those poor victims.

[@Mantis_Toboggan_MD.]

A lot of UK companies still use footage of that Bradford stadium fire in their "Health & Safety" videos or fire safety or whatever it's called these days... as an example of just how quickly a fire can spread. I think it's basically about 3-4 minutes from the commentator saying something like "Oh there's some smoke" and sounding slightly amused, to the entire stand being an inferno. A lot of people died that day because for the first few minutes they just stood an looked at it, not realising the danger they were in

[@1ndyskies]

I can remember watching this happen live on TV. Initially the TV commentator (Dickie Davies?) said thankfully there were no casualties. A day later we learned the truth. So sad that this happened, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost a loved one.

[@patriciarowland2124]

It was John Helm reporting from Bradford. Remember it unfolding as the match was live on telly. Instead of watching a football match we watched the horrendous fire spread so fast. Just thankful my Dad didn't travel to Bradford that Saturday

[@barrypetcher8542]

Hi JT, I Wasn't at this game but I lived in Bradford at the time. Where I lived , In Buttershaw, you could see the fire and smoke.

[@janlewis143]

It doesn’t really matter which disaster was worse. ANY death in disasters such as these is a tragedy. However in the case of Hillsborough I think there were two disasters. One in the stadium and one beginning when the police blamed the fans and all the lies and cover ups. It has taken decades for the truth to be told and to get justice for the 97. RIP to anyone who has gone to a football match and never come home.

[@mary-kittybonkers2374]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@Forestgravy90]

The fans were still part of the problem, scousers just like to pretend they're innocent angels and then put fingers in ears when Heysel is mentioned

[@avrilhopper6284]

I still feel sick thinking of that day...We were watching the match on TV & couldn't believe how quickly the fire spread.. The image I'll never forget is that of an old gentleman still sitting in the stand...I hope his heart had given up before the flames reached him...I remember standing up from the sofa & screaming...I can't even comprehend how traumatised the people that were actually there must have been & probably still are...There was an outcry as to why it was still televised..There was an in depth enquiry & safety standards were also implemented due to this disaster...RIP to the people that perished unnecessarily....

[@ryecroft13]

This hit hard on the day, and watching this again today. A week before this disaster I had been in a group of Reading fans sitting in that stand, having playful banter with the Bradford fans who were almost assured to get promoted. Then to hear the news the next week, when we were returning from our game was devastating. The Bradford fans who had been welcoming and fun, should have been having the time of their lives, partying. It was so wrong. At the time, that sort of stand and dilapidated grounds, in general was nothing to remark on in the third and fourth divisions. Many clubs had similar old wooden stands. They were all reassessed in the summer break and it gave real impetus to clubs upgrading in situ or moving and building anew. It shouldn't have taken the loss of lives to do that.

[@samanthahughes7783]

I saw this on tv, and also Hillsborough. So many died in hillsborough because stadiums had had to put high fences around the pitches because of people coming onto them, so the poor fans were crushed against them. No disaster is worse than another, no life worth more than another. People died, families suffered, football suffered. The losses should all be remembered and peace wished for the dead and all those affected. The End.

[@davidbateleur8357]

Players Managers are still a thing. Its more common in lower divisions, not the Premiership.

[@petersymonds4975]

In the 90’s I was an engineer with BT in Stadium House, Cardiff. The Bradford fire was a main reason in BT compiling and updating the fire regulations in BT buildings. I was nominated a fire warden for the 2nd floor of the 13 storey exchange building. We had telephone exchanges and equipment on all floors but 5, with a canteen on the 13th. Luckily for me the second floor had exchange equipment on both sides of the building with no people, except the occasional engineer. I had to attend a fire warden course in a Gwent fire station. We were taught about fire extinguishers and evacuation techniques. This was all because of the findings from the Bradford fire disaster. After all similar disasters fire regulations are tightened. After 9/11 in New York we again had fire warden courses in regards to the high building we were working in and although not on a direct flight path we were 12 miles from Cardiff Wales International (Wales) airport.

[@angielotl]

I don’t know if you’ve covered Hillsborough yet but if not please do. This was the absolute worst football disaster. All disasters are on the top spot really but the kids who died and the way which people died along with the police passing the blame to those victims makes it the absolute worse. Thinking of everyone involved in the Bradford tragedy 🙏🏻 RIP 😔

[@ingobordewick6480]

Never forget the 96 of Hillsborough. You'll never walk alone!

[@davidbirchall832]

97 now...😢 YNWA

[@Hugh.G.Rectionx]

entirely the fault of drunken scouse yobs. blame your own

[@KSmeaton1]

@@Hugh.G.Rectionx It's been proven that it was down to the failure of the police due to various investigative reports. At first the liverpool fans were blamed but that was just the authorities etc. passing the buck cos they knew they were in the shit.

[@donaldomahoney1774]

​@hugh.g.rection5906 absolutely...ticketless frunken yobs forcing their way in

[@DrDaveW]

I'm From Lincoln, the other team. My dad and I tried to get tickets to the game, but they had sold out. I remember listening to the events playing out on local radio. The sports commentators became breaking news presenters. You know of Lincoln. You're sitting in front of a photo of Lincoln Cathedral.

[@janphillips2534]

I was watching this on TV at the time. I mentioned to my then boyfriend that there looked to be a small fire in the stand. No sooner said than it went whoosh and really spread so fast. It was a shocker.

[@kindhearted88]

Same here, I was shocked at how fast it all happened.

[@KeithWilliamMacHendry]

A truly terrible tragedy in football history, so many good & decent people lost their lives that day & it affected so many families & friends. They are loved. ♥

[@manu-tonyo9654]

I remember watching this on TV, was unreal, felt sick to my core.

[@streaky81]

I'm from Lincoln (Lincoln City were the away team) and I worked for the county fire and rescue for a while and I had to edit the video of the event for a report about this sort of thing, the full unedited video is around on youtube - if you ever want to see how quickly fire can spread in a structure made of the absolutely wrong materials that's the one, it is utterly shocking - when a fire spreads like that in a packed stadium it doesn't matter how efficient you are, people are going to burn because it takes time to evacuate and not everybody is as able bodied. These days they do a lot of testing of how quickly stadiums can be evacuated and some of the markers are based on events like this and Hillsborough. As somebody who has done what I've done I get really bothered about some of the lapses in stadium safety standards - and the allowing of teams to get away with that the regs say can't happen - that have occurred in recent years; they probably won't result in things like this because better material selections, better engineering, better understanding of how crowds behave, but you never can be 100% sure and the best thing to do is not reintroduce things that led to large death counts. One of the problems with the stadium in this instance is the fire at one end billowed superheated gasses all the way along the stand contained within the roof structure, and the people at the other end weren't aware, but evacuation efforts started focused where the fire starts - but then very quickly the fire spreads from one end of the stand to the other and people can't get out fast enough. It's really a nightmare scenario and if you know anything about the Kings Cross fire which is a similar horrific disaster with similar causes there's very related reasons why the fire spread so quickly.

[@therealslimshady14]

The Bantams will always be my team. RIP to everyone that sadly passed away ❤

[@Nige1146]

Im from Bradford and you could see the smoke across the city from our house. A boy in the year below me at school died, a neighbour of a friend. We remember it every year!

[@tomclough705]

My dad was in the stand that caught fire with friends, thankfully they got onto the pitch. There was one good thing that happened from it and that was an advancement of burns injury treatment. Some of the treatment done that day created some of the best procedures used today. A tragic day that many i know still hold close to their heart. We remember it every year on the last week of the season.

[@bobbyoscroft9341]

Although this was terrible the Hillsborough disaster was equally hard to take, along with the graphic images that were witnessed the blame game and cover up made it worse

[@Bowleskov]

Sadly Major disasters in the Time of Thatcher were not rare, the causes of this are similar to the King Cross Station Fire in 1987 but there was also the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, Piper Alpha fire in 1988, and Hillsborough in 1989. But If you are Reacting to these kind of Events please can I suggest the Shooting Incidents at Hungerford in 1987 and Dunblane in 1996 (as a sidenote Andy Murray, the Tennis player, was a Survivor of that one).

[@texbankuk]

Good one!

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

hi, Hillsborough was 15 April 1989.

[@chrispickwell2506]

I was 11 years old when i saw this on TV... i'm still struck by how brave people were that day... there were policemen coming out on fire, putting the flames out and returning to the fire to help more people escape.

[@nathansmathers5565]

Mate this was a serious tragedy maybe making a reaction video wasn’t the best call

[@brightsideeventsandmedia7245]

I was going to say the same thing. Should there be reaction videos to disasters like this? I think not.

[@michaelcole-hamer607]

I don't know, many people had never heard of some disasters, I myself had no clue about this until watching this video

[@heliotropezzz333]

At 12:22 you can see a man on fire. At the time I'll never forget, seeing on the news, a man walking on the pitch who was on fire. The flames were quickly put out but we were told that he did not survive although he continued to walk. His body temperature must have been massive at the time.

[@teadrinker73]

A similar scenario gave rise to the 1987 Kings Cross Fire, if you haven't seen anything on that. There were at least two worse disasters in Britain, crushes at Ibrox and Hillsborough.

[@steelpanther9568]

Why were they both holding a brick layer’s trowel, at 2:49, When the stand that caught on fire wasn’t made of brick, Valley Parade Fire disaster On 11 May 1985, a crowd of 11,076 attended Bradford City's final Division Three game of the 1984-85 season against Lincoln City. The Bradford side had secured the Division Three title the week before when they defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-0. The league trophy was presented to City's skipper Peter Jackson before the Lincoln game. The score was still 0-0 after 40 minutes of the game, when a small fire was noticed three rows from the back near one end of the main stand. The flames became more visible within minutes, and police started to evacuate people in the stand less than six minutes later. Club chairman Stafford Heginbotham, who was in the main stand, described the effect and his reaction to the disaster: "The fire just spread along the length of the stand in seconds. The smoke was choking. We couldn't breathe. It was to be our day." The game was stopped, and the wooden roof caught fire. The fire spread the length of the stand, and timber and the roof began to fall onto the crowds. Black smoke enveloped the rear passageways, where fans were trying to escape. Ultimately, the fire killed 56 spectators, ranging from 11-year-old children to the 86-year-old former chairman of the club, Sam Firth. At least 265 further supporters were injured. The few existing narrow escape routes led to locked doors in some cases, and the only escape for most spectators was directly onto the field. The match was abandoned and never replayed, with The Football League ordering the scoreline at the time of abandonment to stand. "All of a sudden, a sheet of flame went up to the roof and along the entire length of the stand. Within five minutes of it starting, the whole stand was burnt down. In fact, I think it was timed at 4min 35sec. The strong wind was fanning it from the end where the blaze had started." Steve Smith, former club official Sir Oliver Popplewell published his inquiry into the fire in 1986, which introduced new safety legislation for sports grounds across the country. Forensic scientist David Woolley believed the cause of the fire was from a discarded cigarette or match, which had dropped through gaps between the seating to a void below the stand where rubbish had built up. A number of police officers and 22 spectators were later awarded bravery awards for their deeds on the day. The old wooden roof of the stand was due to be replaced the day after the Lincoln match, because it did not meet the safety regulations required for Division Two, where the team would be playing in the following season. Instead, it took until July 1986 for rebuilding work to begin. The ground was used for reserve team fixtures from September 1985, but only journalists and club officials were present to watch. Bradford City's senior team played home games at other grounds in West Yorkshire for 19 months while Valley Parade was rebuilt. The new ground cost £2.6 million (£8.1 million today) to rebuild, and was reopened in December 1986. More than £3.5 million (£11.3 million today) was raised for victims of the fire and their families through the Bradford Disaster Appeal Fund. Memorials have been erected at the ground and at Bradford City Hall, the latter of which was provided by Bradford's twin town of Hamm, in Germany. The disaster is also marked by an annual remembrance ceremony on 11 May at Bradford City Hall, and an annual Easter-weekend youth tournament, contested between Bradford, Lincoln and other teams from across Europe. 🤔

[@Amy-tb3rd]

The game was against Lincoln city, you have Lincoln cathedral behind you. I live in Lincoln but wasn’t born when this happened however I’m very aware of it as my dad would always tell the story x

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

It was the last day of the season , in those days there wasn't coverage of all matches and my team needed to win for promotion . I was watching ITV for the next scoreflash and was a half time report from the Bradford game , everything seemed normal , two minutes later it was back and all thoughts of sport were forgotten . I've never forgotten how quickly the fire sped along that roof and the scenes afterwards . The film was used in a safety lecture thirty years later and I had to think twice before watching , I think some of it had been edited . Certainly having seen those pictures as the tragedy happened made me aware of fire safety long before that lecture . So sorry for all the people who were injured or lost their lives in this tragedy .

[@jakupharrison8051]

There's a piece of footage I've always remembered were for watever reason you can see a man sitting in his seat completely still surrounded by fire and not even trying to escape. At 12:31 look in the background. The footage was used by one of my public service lecturers in college who was an ex fireman. He was also later my supervisor in my first job as a steward at a football stadium.

[@searchanddiscover]

this also makes the kings cross underground station fire frustrating too. it was also caused by trash under a escalator that got lit by a dropped cigarette.

[@kevrid2]

brought so many tears to my eyes watching this, i was there, an 11 year old BCFC fan with my dad. RIP the 56, never forgotton xx

[@jessweaver5713]

I’m born and bred in Bradford. I still live here. I was 1 when this happened. My colleague was there as a toddler, her dad grabbed her and ran saving her life as she was in that stand. My sister was 13 at the time. One of the girls she went to school with worked at the stadium selling drinks from a concession stand at the back of the stand. She was trapped and died in the fire. To this day everyone in Bradford feels it, football fans and non-football fans alike. One thing that did come from this is the burns research at Bradford university, that has been leading the way world wide with burn treatments since the fire

[@SarahWilson-fv5vo]

I used to work with a retired policeman who was at the stadium that day and was awaded for bravery for helping people escape. His hair caught fire from the falling debris but he survived.

[@danielelsden2736]

I am a Bradford fan and I remember the 56 with love in my heart never forget those we lost that day and thank you for showing respect for this video you watched and love to Lincoln we share the loss