| Location | Bradford West Yorkshire |
| Age | 0 |
| Date of Birth | 1985 |
| Date of Death | 1985 |
| Visitors | 9,078 since 22/05/2007 |
| Creator |
56 PEOPLE LOST THERE LIVES IN THIS AWFULL FIRE
Bradford City had enjoyed a successful 1984/85 season in the Football League Third Division, and by May 11th had secured enough points in the league to be crowned champions, gaining promotion to the Football League Second Division for the first time in 48 years. With Bradford City already champions, and Lincoln City safely occupying mid-table, the game was effectively meaningless, a sideshow to a rare day of celebration for Bradford City.
As it was the first piece of domestic silverware the club had captured in 56 years, since they won Football League Division Three North in 1929, 11,076 supporters, double that season's average attendance, packed into the then 16,000 capacity Valley Parade, to see the club crowned league champions. Of these, 2,000 filled all the ground's seats and a further 2,000 stood on the Paddock terrace that ran to the front and side of the Main Stand, also filling it to capacity.
Half an hour before the game, the Bradford City team did a lap of honour after club captain Peter Jackson was presented with the Third Division trophy. For the first 40 minutes of the game, the two sides played out a dull goalless draw before the disaster unfolded.
[edit] The Disaster
It is believed the fire started when a spectactor disposed of smoking materials, which fell into the empty area underneath the seats of the main stand and into a pile of rubbish that had accumulated there over the years.
With a few minutes to go before half-time, smoke was seen to be rising from the rear of the 77-year-old wooden stand. At 3:40pm, fire-fighting equipment was requested and shortly after, the police began to evacuate fans from Block G, that area of the main stand was soon alight.
By this time the fire was starting to spread rapidly, and increasing numbers of fans had to escape from the stand onto the pitch to avoid the smoke. With the flames spreading, match referee Don Shaw stopped the match with three minutes of the first half remaining. (For the records, the Football Association ultimately declared the match a 0-0 draw and it was never replayed.)
By this time though, all thoughts of the match were forgotten. The fire rapidly took hold and after flashover, engulfed the entire main stand in less than two minutes. Whilst many escaped onto the pitch, others seated towards the back of stand attempted to escape from the exits at the rear, but they found that the exit doors were locked, in order to prevent ticketless fans from gaining entry. Most of the fatalities were found near the rear exits and turnstile entrances.
The stand's wooden roof was also caught fire with burning tar raining down from its bitumen-coated covering onto escaping fans below. Ironically, the steel that was intended to replace the aging wooden roof of the stand the following Monday was lying in the car park behind it.
In the panic that ensued, there were many acts of heroism by both police and supporters. Fans who had escaped the fire switched their attentions to saving fellow supporters, with 22 supporters later receiving bravery awards.
A total of 56 people died in the fire and over two hundred were injured.
[edit] Aftermath
The inquiry into the disaster, the Popplewell Inquiry, led to the introduction of new legislation to improve safety at the UK's football grounds. One of the main outcomes of the inquiry was the banning of the construction of new wooden grandstands at Football League grounds.
The Popplewell Inquiry found that the club had been warned about the rubbish accumulating under the stand. However, as there was no real precedent, most Bradfordians accepted that the fire was a terrible piece of misfortune. A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated stand, that had survived because the club simply didn't have the money to replace it, had conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League.
An appeals fund was set up within 48 hours of the disaster, eventually raising over Β£4 million, part of which was raised by a cover version by The Crowd of the Gerry & The Pacemakers hit You'll Never Walk Alone, which reached number 1 in the UK Singles chart.
Following the disaster, Valley Parade was extensively re-developed, and re-opened on 14th December 1986, when Bradford City beat an England XI 2-1 in a friendly. Since then, it has been further re-developed and, today, Valley Parade is a modern 25,000 seater stadium, virtually unrecognisable from how it was at the time of the disaster. A memorial sits near the ground, to remember those who perished.
Of the 56 who died, two were supporters of the visiting Lincoln City side, Bill Stacey and Jim West. As a memorial, Lincoln City named its home end at their Sincil Bank ground the 'Stacey-West Stand' when it was redeveloped
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...........| () ||.............. CANDLE
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...........|. ♥ |................ LIT
...........|. ♥.|..........
...........|. ♥.|.............. WITH
...........|. ♥.|..........
...........|. ♥.|.................LOVE
..____|----|____.....
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·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:·
A candle to remember, may it burn ever so bright
As I look to the heavens on this very night.
Beyond the stars, your loved one soars
Embraced by their Saviour on heaven's shores.
As the angels protect them and sing their sweet name
We honour their lives with the glow of this flame.
So I light this candle for your loved ones tonight
As a symbol of my love and their eternal life.
·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:· ·:*:·
* * . + * .*.
. * + * JUST * + .
+ . . * + . + * . * +
* . + *SPRINKLIN.* + .
+ . . * + . + * . * + .
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+ . . * + . + * . * + .*
. * * + . * WITH.* .
+ . SOME. * + * * . + * .
. * + * * + . *+ *
+ ..LOVE.. * + . +
+ . . * + . + * . * +
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.......o O O
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ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ·
A Symbol of Hope
ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ·
A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
And beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.
ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ· β€ΖΈΜ΅Μ‘ΣΜ΅Μ¨ΜΖ·
____*♥*______*♥*
_*♥*__ *♥*_*♥*__*♥*
*♥*_____*♥* _____ *♥*
*♥*____Happy____*♥*
_*♥*____New____*♥*
___*♥*__Year__*♥*
_____*♥*2012*♥*
_______*♥*♥*
________*♥*
♥†♥ Hugs From Heaven ♥†♥
When you feel a gentle breeze
Caress you when you sigh
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From a loved one way up high.
If a soft and tender raindrop
Lands upon your nose
They've added a small kiss
As fragile as a rose.
If a song you hear fills you
With a feeling of sweet love
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From someone special up above.
If you awaken in the morning
To a bluebird's chirping song
It's music sent from Heaven
To cheer you all day long.
If tiny little snowflakes
Land upon your face
It's a hug sent from Heaven
Trimmed with Angel lace.
So keep the joy in your heart
If you're lonely my dear friend
Hugs that are sent from Heaven
A broken heart will mend.
by Charlotte Anselmo
βββββββββββββ βΊββββββββββββ
βββ ♥β£βββ ♥β£ββ β ♥β£βββ ♥β£βββ ♥β£ββ
βββββββββββββ βΊββββββββββββ
When our loved ones pass beyond our sight.
.............We say that they have gone,..............
........But they are somewhere in the light.......
.................Where life and love go on..............
......................Forever in our hearts.................
βββββββββββββ βΊββββββββββββ
βββ ♥β£βββ ♥β£ββ β ♥β£βββ ♥β£βββ ♥β£ββ
βββββββββββββ βΊββββββββββββ
Come Sing with Me
~ Marilyn Hinson ~
-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-
Come sing with me of being free
Of fluffy clouds above the sea,
Billowing, swirling, as if at play
Reflecting soft colours at the close of day.
-:|:-
Come sing with me of soft, white sand
Of friends together, walking hand in hand,
Of a shoreline stretching far and wide
Of the moon and stars at evening tide.
-:|:-
Shells scatter on the beach, washed in by tides--
Not so different from our own lives;
Each shell separate, no two the same
Though mingled together, each has its own name.
-:|:-
Come sing with me of each man's worth
A right we have from time of birth;
We all are different, no two the same
Yet God knows each of us by our name.
-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-.....-:|:-
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_____$$$$**____________*
_______*_________O__O__*
_______*___________0___ *
_______$$$*_______•.,,.•__*
_______$$$$$$*_________*
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____*________****$$$$$$____*
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___*_______*_____$$$$$$$$ __*
____*______*____$$$$$$$$$**
____*_*****__~~__$$$$$$$$
__*_*___________________*_*
_*____________________O____*
*___________________________*
*_____________________O_____*
*___________________________*
_*__________________O______*
__*______________________**
β*β*β*β*β*β*β*β*β*β*β
Merry Christmas
.........(β)........*..........*......*.........
....*..(β*β).........*.......*...........*....
.....(β*β*β)....*..._β_..*........*.
...(β*β*β*β)......(*-*)......*......
.(β*β*β*β*β)..(...*...).....*....
..........ββ......…...(....*....).......
α¦ ♥ α¦ Those we love we never lose
α¦ ♥ α¦ For always they will be,
α¦ ♥ α¦ Loved, remembered, treasured
α¦ ♥ α¦ Always in our memory.
α¦ ♥ α¦ Looking back with memories
α¦ ♥ α¦ Upon the path you trod,
α¦ ♥ α¦ We bless the hours we had with you
α¦ ♥ α¦ And leave the rest with God.
α¦ ♥ α¦ Nothing can ever take away
α¦ ♥ α¦ The love a heart holds dear,
α¦ ♥ α¦ Fond memories linger every day
α¦ ♥ α¦ Remembrance keeps them near.
α¦ ♥ α¦ In our hearts your memory lingers
α¦ ♥ α¦ Sweetly tender, fond and true,
α¦ ♥ α¦ There is not a day, dear Loved One
α¦ ♥ α¦ That we do not think of you.
•:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: •β •:*:
................Goodnight And God Bless Angels..................
•:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: ••:*:• β •:*: •β •:*:
____♥β♥β♥β♥β♥
__♥βββββ♥-|-♥
_♥ββββ ♥__/\__
_♥βββ♥---)_**_(
_♥ββββ ♥....\/
__♥βββββ♥
___♥β♥β♥β♥β♥
*α¦* My Memories *α¦*
(Patience Strong)
On the road that all must tread
You have travelled on ahead
Out into the morning light
Out of reach and out of sight
But never far away
For every night and every day
On the wings of memory
Something brings you back to me
Some simple and familiar thing
That sets my heart remembering.
ββββββββ....ΠΊΡΧ₯ tΰΉ ΰΉΧ₯ ΡΡΰΈΠ³t
ββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββββββββββ
βββββββββββββββββββββ
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There have been 75 candles lit for Bradford City Fire Disaster.
