[Football] Bradford Fire 40 Years Ago

lawros left foot · Sunday at 1:53 PM

I was on HMS Edinburgh at the time, in the Channel doing work ups.

I remember sitting in our mess with about 10 other blokes, listening to the World service , having a couple of beers, , as we very often did, listening, to the football coverage.

Hard faced matelots , one or two of them survivors from sunk ships in the Falklands, in absolute stunned silence, and some moved to tears by the coverage.

It was an afternoon I, for one, will never forget.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Sunday at 2:26 PM

I remember seeing the grainy live footage on, dunno, World Of Sport, in the afternoon. Never really struck home in real time. Just looked like a rickety old grandstand smouldering away, with the odd lick of flame. Had absolutely no idea that people were actually dying in there

Eeyore · Sunday at 2:35 PM

I believe, from memory, that Heysel was not long after. Very low time.

My memory was of the poor chap with his hair on fire. I believe he didn't survive. Heart breaking just thinking about it. There are kids names on that memorial.

I was at the Sheffield United game. Odd afternoon.

Bodian · Sunday at 4:23 PM

Eeyore said:
I believe, from memory, that Heysel was not long after. Very low time.

Yes - just a month later. The two combined really did have quite a big impact on people's perceptions of going to a football match.

Poyningsgull · Sunday at 4:37 PM

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
There was rubbish from the 1960s under the wooden floor

As there was under most football stands back then

Since1982 · Sunday at 4:46 PM

bhafc99 said:
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.

That's correct. Horrific.

Perfidious Albion · Sunday at 5:17 PM

I remember it well. I was listening to Radio 5 football commentary at the time and it sounded awful . This and the Heysal Stadium deaths really put me off football for a time….

Sorrel · Sunday at 5:49 PM

That fire was so fast- and as others have said there were several other safety failings in that stand - that people had hardly any time to make the right choice.

ManOfSussex · Sunday at 9:13 PM

Sadly it's one of my first ever football memories. I believe it is available online, but BT Sport did a documentary called 'One Day In May' for the 30th anniversary. It was hosted by Gabby Logan who pointed out in the introduction that everyone you see on camera for it were there that day. Her Dad was assistant to Bradford boss Trevor Cherry.

The 2 brothers telling the story of going to the match with their Grandmother who told the older brother to run onto the pitch and take his brother out to the centre circle and wait for her as the fire took hold, which he did, is one that sticks in my mind. Then they stood there waiting for her but she never arrived because she made the fatal decision to go to the back of stand to get out.

The match against Lincoln was selected for highlights broadcast on Yorkshire Television/ITV and the commentator John Helm said if cameras hadn't have been there that day nobody would have quite believed how quickly the fire took off. Although it's desperately sad, it's well worth watching the documentary if you haven't seen it.

Lady Whistledown · Sunday at 9:16 PM

Sorrel said:
That fire was so fast- and as others have said there were several other safety failings in that stand - that people had hardly any time to make the right choice.

Also, that was their ancient main stand, and a lot of the occupants would have been older people who'd sat there for decades and perhaps were less mobile when it came to getting out. Certainly a lot of people struggled to get over the walls separating different areas of that stand.

If you look at the memorial wall, the demographic of those who died is generally older than at, say Hillsborough.

luge · Sunday at 10:22 PM

I made a film on the fire about 15 years ago for the beeb. I watched all the footage from the day, which isn't available to the public. I still have flashbacks just from watching those tapes. What a horrible event. RIP.

Thunder Bolt · Sunday at 10:26 PM

ManOfSussex said:
Sadly it's one of my first ever football memories. I believe it is available online, but BT Sport did a documentary called 'One Day In May' for the 30th anniversary. It was hosted by Gabby Logan who pointed out in the introduction that everyone you see on camera for it were there that day. Her Dad was assistant to Bradford boss Trevor Cherry.

The 2 brothers telling the story of going to the match with their Grandmother who told the older brother to run onto the pitch and take his brother out to the centre circle and wait for her as the fire took hold, which he did, is one that sticks in my mind. Then they stood there waiting for her but she never arrived because she made the fatal decision to go to the back of stand to get out.

The match against Lincoln was selected for highlights broadcast on Yorkshire Television/ITV and the commentator John Helm said if cameras hadn't have been there that day nobody would have quite believed how quickly the fire took off. Although it's desperately sad, it's well worth watching the documentary if you haven't seen it.

It was being shown live on Yorkshire tv. I was watching it whilst doing the ironing. It was horrific.

ManOfSussex · Sunday at 10:31 PM

Thunder Bolt said:
It was being shown live on Yorkshire tv. I was watching it whilst doing the ironing. It was horrific.

The footage of the West Yorkshire police officer with his hair burning is something else. He lived. The whole thing was beyond awful.

heathgate · Sunday at 10:54 PM

Perfidious Albion said:
I remember it well. I was listening to Radio 5 football commentary at the time and it sounded awful . This and the Heysal Stadium deaths really put me off football for a time….

Unlikely to be Radio 5, that didn't start until some years after... 94 or 95...

Boys 9d · Sunday at 11:00 PM

bhafc99 said:
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.

I knew the officer in charge of the first fire service responders who confirmed to me the locked exits.
By coincidence I also later met someone who was in the stand and escaped but lost some of his hair and had burn scars on his head.

herecomesaregular · Sunday at 11:16 PM

Yes I remember that day and the film. When we had a "fire safety" video at work that showed it pretty much in full some 30 years later, I had to walk out because of the emotions.

Shockingly sad day.

essbee1 · Sunday at 11:17 PM

That poor lady who lost her husband and two sons in the fire.

clapham_gull · 2025-05-12T00:04:02+0100

Since1982 said:
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.

Yes exactly. Wow.

Just brought back memories of the hearing the car radio reports as my dad drove us home.

clapham_gull · 2025-05-12T00:08:03+0100

heathgate said:
Unlikely to be Radio 5, that didn't start until some years after... 94 or 95...

Radio Five started in 1990, Sports Report in 1985 would have been on Radio 2.

It's moved around.

Easy 10 · 2025-05-12T00:46:23+0100

The image of that poor soul staggering out of the stand fully on fire before collapsing, haunts me to this day. Awful beyond words.

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[Football] Bradford Fire 40 Years Ago

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