[Football] Bradford Fire 40 Years Ago

[Since1982]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Bradford City fire. We had just played Sheffield Utd (?) in the last game of the season at The Goldstone and I recall the news reports coming through on the radio as we drove home. The images of that day remain shocking and for all we might sometimes regret the loss of some of the old stadia over the years, we won’t ever again hear the news that 56 fellow fans died in four minutes inside a stand that should have condemned years before. RIP Bradford 56.

 

[Weststander]

One of those, I remember the news coming through. RIP the lost souls.

From a lengthy list of UK football stadia disasters, the silver lining obviously was new stands and grounds fit for people.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

When I did steward training for Withdean we were shown publically unpublished footage of the fire - horrific, utterly horrific - as a steward it certainly made you think.

 

[Normal Rob]

RIP. Horrific.

 

[bhafc99]

A dreadful horrible day. Remember it too. Had a lift back to Bexhill after the Albion's game, and remember us all sitting in silence listening to the radio all the way.

RIP all those lost souls.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

It was horrific scenes that were shown on the TV at the time and in retrospect they shouldn’t have been. RIP.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Yes you were correct with Sheffield United (the day of post match fighting on the pitch)

It was certainly a sad day RIP 56

 

[Flounce]

That is a “remember where you were” like when JFK and Lennon were shot, Elvis died and Princess Diana and Dodi died moment for me.

Horrific as it unfolded on the news flash

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I know both were horrific and it's not a competition, but Bradford hit me harder than Hillsborough. Being burnt to death at the football is unimaginable. Looking back, I think many football fans had been involved in dangerous crushes so can understand how awful that would be, but the Bradford fire was Hell on Earth

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Awful - those poor people and their families- RIP.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Bradford City fire. We had just played Sheffield Utd (?) in the last game of the season at The Goldstone and I recall the news reports coming through on the radio as we drove home. The images of that day remain shocking and for all we might sometimes regret the loss of some of the old stadia over the years, we won’t ever again hear the news that 56 fellow fans died in four minutes inside a stand that should have condemned years before. RIP Bradford 56.

There was rubbish from the 1960s under the wooden floor

 

[Thunder Bolt]

When I did steward training for Withdean we were shown publically unpublished footage of the fire - horrific, utterly horrific - as a steward it certainly made you think.

It was part of my son's firefighter training as to how quickly a fire can spread.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I have family in Bradford and some were at the game. Remember being at my Nans waiting for phone calls to say everyone was ok. Was a good few hours before we got the news everyone was safe.

My uncle lost a couple of friends.

RIP to the 56.

 

[A1X]

There was rubbish from the 1960s under the wooden floor

Quite a lot of parallels with the awful fire at Kings Cross underground station a couple of years later, years of poor maintenance, slapdash attitudes to safety and a build up of old, dried rubbish causing unsafe infrastructure to go up faster than people could escape from which fortunately have led to a step change in safety, modernity and standards

 

[keaton]

BBC Two - Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire

The story of one of the worst disasters in footballing history and the loss of 56 lives.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I have family in Bradford and some were at the game. Remember being at my Nans waiting for phone calls to say everyone was ok. Was a good few hours before we got the news everyone was safe.

My uncle lost a couple of friends.

RIP to the 56.

Two of my colleagues died in the fire but I didn't know them well, just that they worked for the same company.

 

[bhafc99]

Quite a lot of parallels with the awful fire at Kings Cross underground station a couple of years later, years of poor maintenance, slapdash attitudes to safety and a build up of old, dried rubbish causing unsafe infrastructure to go up faster than people could escape from which fortunately have led to a step change in safety, modernity and standards

I passed through Kings Cross tube station that day, a few hours before the fire. Always stuck with me.

Forgive me if I’ve got this wrong, but from memory I think the worst aspect of the Bradford fire is that so many tried to leave the stand out the back exits, only to find them locked. If those gates had been open, it might not have been anything like as bad.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Clearly remember the breaking news stories and being horror struck, and then being moved to tears by the developing conflagration. Awful, and having sat in the old main stand at the Goldstone on occasion, “there but for the grace of God go I!”

 

[heathgate]

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Bradford City fire. We had just played Sheffield Utd (?) in the last game of the season at The Goldstone and I recall the news reports coming through on the radio as we drove home. The images of that day remain shocking and for all we might sometimes regret the loss of some of the old stadia over the years, we won’t ever again hear the news that 56 fellow fans died in four minutes inside a stand that should have condemned years before. RIP Bradford 56.

Yep, I lived in Goldstone Road at the time. strolled home after the Albion game to this shocking news footage......we'd had quite a few feisty scuffles post match, on the pitch, at the station..... it all seemed so insignificant once we watched the news unfold.