Valley Parade fire 1985

Intriguing article in the Guardian today

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher

Intriguing article in the Guardian today

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher

My uncle and two cousins were in the fire, at 4 and 6 years old. My uncle was badly burned by dripping tar from the top of the stand, and got split from the 6 year old, and didn't find him until an hour later on the pitch.

If true, this would be one of the most despicable acts this country has ever seen.

I did a lecture on this some time ago. This event gets absolutely no where near the remembrance from the football community that it deserves

My uncle and two cousins were in the fire, at 4 and 6 years old. My uncle was badly burned by dripping tar from the top of the stand, and got split from the 6 year old, and didn't find him until an hour later on the pitch.

 

If true, this would be one of the most despicable acts this country has ever seen.

Indeed it would, it doesn't bear thinking about. The only thought I have is why start a fire when the ground is in use?

Around that time I was at Dean Court when a fire started smouldering in a gap in the wooden flooring of the stand. Luckily it never got really going but it took some time to get it dealt with. Just after the Bradford tragedy I was sitting behind two silly schoolgirls in the upper East Stand at the Dell who were trying to have a crafty smoke. I found it sad that they hadn't even heard of the one at Bradford.

I did a lecture on this some time ago. This event gets absolutely no where near the remembrance from the football community that it deserves

Indeed, but that's basically because Bradford City isn't a particular big name (compared to, say, Liverpool with the Hillsborough disaster which rightly gets loads of coverage) and the anniversary date (11th May) often used to be after the end of the domestic season.

I find it incredible that not one local journalist at the time of the various fires in the area put two and two together - the bloke had even been interviewed by the press where he was bemoaning his bad luck, but nobody bothered to delve any deeper!

Indeed it would, it doesn't bear thinking about. The only thought I have is why start a fire when the ground is in use?

As sickening as it sounds, it's a lot easier to pin something like that on a discarded cigarette when there are thousands of people in the stand than on a non-matchday when the culprit list would be rather more defined.

This is a potential huge story

As sickening as it sounds, it's a lot easier to pin something like that on a discarded cigarette when there are thousands of people in the stand than on a non-matchday when the culprit list would be rather more defined.

Yes, of course, I suppose some people really are that twisted.

Indeed it would, it doesn't bear thinking about. The only thought I have is why start a fire when the ground is in use?

 

Easier to fabricate a fire if there are lots of smokers in the stands...

As sickening as it sounds, it's a lot easier to pin something like that on a discarded cigarette when there are thousands of people in the stand than on a non-matchday when the culprit list would be rather more defined.

Snap.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher

:(:(

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?53940-Valley-Parade-fire-1985#.VS-4fpP_lIo

Sorry BTF - Mods please delete or merge.

I only saw the article this morning and have been thinking about it all day.

Sorry BTF - Mods please delete or merge.

 

I only saw the article this morning and have been thinking about it all day.

No need - I wasn't sure where to post it yesterday.

The YouTube footage of that fire really is horrendous.

Interesting that the inquiry into the Valley Parade fire lasted just five days. The Hillsbrough inquiry is still going on now.

It's also easier to make these accusations when Heginbotham is dead. I know it's taken the author 15 years but I wonder if he would had published this book if Heginbotham was still alive?

The YouTube footage of that fire really is horrendous.

And the speed at which it took hold. It should be shown as a standard training exercise to show what can happen if the circumstances are right.

And the speed at which it took hold. It should be shown as a standard training exercise to show what can happen if the circumstances are right.

We were shown the full video as part of Fire safety training at work, amazing how quickly it all happens.

And the speed at which it took hold. It should be shown as a standard training exercise to show what can happen if the circumstances are right.

It was at the company I used to work for.

I was a safety steward in the nineties in the East Stand at the Dell. We were shown extended footage of the disaster within hours of arriving for our first days training. None of us ever let a fan smoke in that stand after that.

I once met a copper who had to assist in removing the bodies from this.

He said to me he didn't know what got to him most. The people that died still sitting upright in their seats, or what one of the firemen said when they first got to the scene -

"Can you imagine if they'd had perimeter fencing round the pitch".

Interesting that the inquiry into the Valley Parade fire lasted just five days. The Hillsbrough inquiry is still going on now.

 

It's also easier to make these accusations when Heginbotham is dead. I know it's taken the author 15 years but I wonder if he would had published this book if Heginbotham was still alive?

From what I've read the author and his mother had to move out of the family home after they received death threats for daring to question if it could have been a suspicious fire. Seems like it's a case of 'I'm not scared anymore' and he's chosen to tell the story now.