Bradford City disaster
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The Bradford City disaster took place on Saturday May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, England. The fire happened during a football match between home team Bradford City and Lincoln City. On that day, Bradford City were celebrating winning the Football League Third Division trophy.
The fire started when a fan disposed of a cigarette into a plastic cup, which fell underneath the stands and into the built-up rubbish that had been accumulating under the stands over the years. The fire started in the 77 year old main stand and quickly spread; when people in the back attempted to escape, they found that the exit doors were locked. Due to its wood and asbestos construction, the stand was completely consumed by flames within minutes. 56 people died and over 200 were injured.
The inquiry into the disaster, the Popplewell Inquiry, led to the introduction of new legislation to increase safety in the UK's football grounds. The video of that day's events is used in fire awareness training for today's sports grounds.
[edit] Further reading
- Firth, Paul (2005). Four Minutes to Hell: The Story of the Bradford City Fire. Manchester: Parrs Wood. ISBN 1903158737.
[edit] External links
- Bradford City F.C. Official History Page
- BBC News article
- 20th anniversary retrospective article
- [1] - TV live video of the incident, containing some graphic scenes.
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