Bradford fire disaster 35 years ago today May 11th 1985

[Funky_Chicken]

Boro were away at Shrewsbury. I remember listening to the Boro commentary with my dad and suddenly the pictures started to come in from Bradford, I could see a man engulfed in flames walking across the pitch and a policeman diving on him with a coat to try put the flames out. It was surreal and the picture quickly cut away. John Hendrie was in the Bradford team that day

 

[Rofesleg]

First time I saw it was on the big screen at Leo's in Redcar on the Sat night. Took a while to work out what we were watching. Horrific.

 

[Funky_Chicken]

I’ll never forget that poor bloke on fire, he was totally engulfed in flames - I’m guessing he would have been one of the 56

 

[El Guapo]

“And look at that! Oh the poor man, this is awful”........”he only came to watch the football” words and an image that’ll never be erased from my mind. Simply horrific

RIP those 56 poor souls.

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

We were full of elation and in top spirits as we left Gay Meadow, then got back on the coaches and listened to what had happened on the radio

 

[BoroFur]

Yes a terrible tragedy in a decade of stadium disasters. I've seen the CCTV video in a quite a few Health & Safety presentations over the years and it always gets you particularly being a football supporter.

 

[Borobarmy]

Yes a terrible tragedy in a decade of stadium disasters. I've seen the CCTV video in a quite a few Health & Safety presentations over the years and it always gets you particularly being a football supporter.

Did you see the H&S video of the inner side of turnstiles post fire . Pretty hardcore as I watched it at fire service college . Poor souls locked in not out of culpability , but it was practise in those days .

 

[Jedi boro]

A truly awful tragedy... rip the 56.

 

[fmttmadmin]

A very sad day - RIP

 

[Erimus74]

A very sad day - RIP

RIP to all 56 x

 

[Centralscrutinizer]

As said above, I've seen extensive footage of this on a few firefighting courses. Pretty horrific and scary how quick the fire escalated.
It's also bordering on surreal the way the TV commentator seamlessly and quite calmly switches from the football to describing the unfolding events.

 

[Borobarmy]

What you’re actually watching is a flashover . Seldom see them in the open air but all circumstances were present .

Such a fire will move faster than you can run and what the video can’t convey is the excruciating heat that was radiated from it , hence the old gentleman who ignited .

Just about every stadium at the time was a tinder box and we were still 2 years late in getting a grip of the underground which had identical conditions re Kings Cross

 

[Borobarmy]

This is an accurate picture of what it’s like being in one . Station nightclub USA 2003 which was exacerbated by atrocious regulations and compliance at the time .

It is a difficult film to watch but one which illustrates the ferocity and abandon a fire has and all fire service teaching courses use it .

Note of caution . If ever been gravely affected by fire don’t watch it as it is brutal .

 

[Borobarmy]

Very unpleasant ! But It’s worth watching to just to express to employees and indeed family how serious fire must be taken . The clip has been cropped considerably as the one the fire service watches has a lot more graphic footage .

 

[ticker_tape]

I remember it like yesterday
Tavelling back from Shrewsbury in a 2 litre Viva Magnum. It started to slow down and pull back so we ended up in the hard shoulder for about 20 minutes before we sorted it,and then heard the news on the radio. The station we listened to didnt really put into context how horrendous it was.

I have watched it but find it very distressing so I dont bother now. Could have been any of us at lots of grounds that were like that, Ayresome the North and the South upper were of similar construction with huge wooden floor planks.

Lot to be said for the Riverside stadium really and for the Govt to ensure these tinder boxes were closed down.

 

[Holgatewall]

I well remember travelling back from Shrewsbury and hearing the news.

We had been to Bradford earlier in the season for a league cup game.

 

[Borobarmy]

Can anyone remember Boro fans worst ever moment at the play-offs away leg a couple of years later . I wont even mention the chant

 

[ticker_tape]

Yes was a real low point, but it they were singing about shagging kids.