As Ian puts it: "Bradford's been on a big rollercoaster over the past ten years and previously. On May 11th each year a memorial service is held in Bradfords Centenary square with the Lord Mayor of Bradford being joined by The Mayor and Mayoress of Lincoln to remember those who passed away in one of the most shocking tragedies ever witnessed at a British football ground. "Official Featherstone Rovers RLFC Web Site First Team Squad", "Ormondroyd junior the 'big daddy' of the family at 17 stone", "Much-changed Featherstone ready for Bradford Bulls test", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ian_Ormondroyd&oldid=1015639568, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:00, 22 November 2007 (UTC), This page was last edited on 2 April 2021, at 16:48. The father whose burgeoning success as a metals stockholder, driving a BMW 323i, took him a long way from his roots, selling coach trips to Mablethorpe. That duty was not a duty to the Club but a duty to the spectators and other persons in the stand. Even if you're in a small town, it's the main focal point," says Ian Ormondroyd. He and the children all perished, along with the boys' father. He established that there had been eight other fires at businesses owned by or associated with the entrepreneur, who > died in 1995, aged 61. 56 fans died as a fire broke out at the game at Valley Parade, 54 Bradford supporters and two from opponents Lincoln City. Samuel Firth (86) No follow up question. by tim_noone Thu May 10, 2018 11:53 pm, Post Criticising Bradford City during the case, Mr. Michael Ogden QC, highlighted that the Club 'gave no or very little thought to fire precautions', despite repeated warnings. They were at fault, but the fault was that no-one in authority seems ever to have properly appreciated the real gravity of this fire hazard and consequently no-one gave it the attention it certainly ought to have received. Bradford fan David Pendleton, then aged 21, was at the game that day in the main stand and remembers how something which initially appeared trivial quickly became a desperate situation. The CNN sports correspondent Alex Thomas was a school friend and he always asked Fletcher why he didn't have the ambition to make a go of it in that world. [52], On 1 May 2010, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fire the football TV show Football Focus was hosted from Valley Parade by Dan Walker, the show included interviews with Terry Yorath and John Hendrie. A total of 56 people - 54 Bradford fans and two. Anne Robinson (pictured with Mr Ormondroyd) moved into the family home near Bradford, West Yorkshire, to care for his wife Donna. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan,[18] as did player John Hawley,[15] and one officer led fans to an exit, only to find it shut and had to turn around. The House Price Index as of 1 Sep 2022 is 153.4 which is a change of 18.457%. A discarded cigarette and a dilapidated wooden stand, which had survived because the club did not have the money to replace it, and accumulated paper litter, were considered to have conspired to cause the worst disaster in the history of the Football League. As a result, Bradford-born captain Peter Jackson was presented with the league trophy before the final game of the season with mid-table Lincoln City at Valley Parade on 11 May 1985. A total of 56 fans died in the fire on May 11, 1985, in a match between Bradford City and Lincoln City, with around 265 more injured. Fire crews from . Bradford City F.C. "Sometimes, it's more of a social thing than a football thing. The average price for property in BD6 1HR stood at 71,472 in July 2018. The horrific scenes of people burning alive seemed to live on in an eerie silence as daylight broke over the remains of Bradford City Football Club's ground yesterday. We couldnt run back down the tunnel. Joined However, the responsibility of the Club is, in my view, very much the greater and I apportion responsibility between the two defendants as to two-thirds on the first defendant and one-third on the third (sic) defendant. The 1985 inquiry into the tragedy headed by Sir Oliver Popplewell concluded that it was an accident, probably started by a spectator dropping a cigarette into rubbish that had accumulated under an old timber stand. April 13, 2010, 07:39:58 pm The Valley Parade fire. A brush fire that burned on Bradford Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Bethel Island burned 212 acres and two structures Monday, fire officials said. On a day that should have been one for celebration, Bantams captain Peter Jackson lifted the Division Three championship trophy before kick-off. [58] Following this report, Leslie Brownlie, who was the nephew in question, is reported to have said that his uncle never made such an admission of starting the fire. Supporters either ran upwards to the back of the stand or downwards to the pitch to escape. Although some attributed Lincoln City's sudden demise to the psychological effects of the fire on its players (together with the resignation of successful manager Colin Murphy shortly before the fire), it symbolised the wider crisis that the introduction of new safety legislation brought to Lincoln's Sincil Bank home. The Weekly Gab: Lower league sides to watch in the FA Cup. Simon Neil Ward (18) Hundreds of others were injured. In terms of property types, flats in Ormondroyd Avenue sold for an average of 43,868 and terraced houses for 78,013. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. As Ian puts it: "Bradford's been on a big rollercoaster over the past ten years and previously. "We did not know the fullness of what was happening but we could see some of them were struggling just to walk and to see," says Iqbal Qasim, one of those who helped. I'm 27 and can't remember seeing it but I know there'll be people on these boards who will and can remind people of what happened on that tragic day. Applying this 18.457% change to the original purchase price of 48,000 results in an estimated price of approximately 56,859. HP10 9TY. "When I read the Popplewell transcripts I could see they were processing 10-15 witnesses a day. The father whose attempts to make him a Bradford City fan he mischievously tried to resist, especially after the family's relocation to the detached surrounds of East Bridgford in Nottinghamshire turned the boy into a Nottingham Forest fan. "I became an adult overnight at 12 and I'm still there," Fletcher says, and you wonder what's next, now that the book which has become his life's work is published. Never to be forgotten ACKROYD, John Douglas 32 Baildon ANDERTON, Edmund 68 Bingley BAINES, Alexander Shaw 70 Bradford BAMFORD, Herbert 72 Bradford Edmond Fletcher (63) Like all areas of forensic investigations, it has come on leaps and bounds. A large fire involving thousands of scrap tyres in Bradford has caused school closures and travel disruption. Paula Helliwell, Unheard Voices project manager, said they wanted to hear from more residents who helped with the rescue effort outside Valley Parade, with the intention of recounting unheard stories from the time. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy and one which I often think about and certainly will never forget.. It has a black marble fascia on which the names and ages of those that died are inscribed in gold, and a black marble platform on which people can leave flowers and mementos. by ClaretTony Thu May 10, 2018 11:46 pm, Post One day I went to a football match with my family and the next day, I woke up and didnt have a father, a brother, or a grandfather or an uncle, he would later say. Gerald Priestley Ormondroyd (40) A minute later he saw a small plume of smoke so he poured his coffee on it and so did his son. Most of the exits at the back were locked or shut and there were no stewards present to open them, but seven were forced open or found open. Lincoln City's board responded by committing 1.1million (3.5million today) to their ground's renovation in the year that immediately followed the fire at Valley Parade, and over the following decade made improvements that eventually totalled 3million. "[16] As spectators began to cascade over the wall separating the stand from the pitch, the linesman on that side of the pitch informed referee Norman Glover, who stopped the game with three minutes remaining before half-time. The 1984/85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford Citys 82-year history. [22], Immediately after the fire, Sharpe planned and treated the injuries of over 200 individuals, with many experimental treatments being used. The fire of 1985 will also certainly figure highly in Bantamspast, says Ian: "A chap rang me up about a week ago and he used to live on Cornwall Terrace, just at the back of the ground. "Yes," he told the inquiry when asked if he was "cautious" about the conclusion he had made about a match causing the fire. A half dozen walked out. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Roy Mason (74) [10] The call was timed at 3:43pm. Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere. The children were still nestled under the warden's thick overcoat when they discovered them. Fletcher's dogged attempts to demonstrate whether that was just urban rumour included poring over 20 years of local newspaper reports and the business history of Heginbotham. RM 2F7YJ1C - Eccles, UK. [15], At 3:44pm, five minutes before half-time, the first sign of a firea glowing lightwas noticed three rows from the back of block G,[10][16] as reported by television commentator John Helm. While Valley Parade was re-developed, Bradford City played games at various neighbouring grounds: Elland Road, Leeds; Leeds Road, Huddersfield; and Odsal Stadium, Bradford. [26], In July 1985, an inquest was held into the deaths; at the hearings the coroner James Turnbull recommended a death by misadventure outcome, with which the jury agreed. With Bantamspast having been awarded a 50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Ian says it's now just a matter of people coming forward with their Valley Parade memories. The blaze broke. These are the kinds of loose ends which would now be investigated to the end of the earth by the Hillsborough team. The book and film will be released in March next year with an event at the National Media Museum, followed by a photographic exhibition at the same venue from May. Ran. Jane Sampson (18) Andrew Fletcher (11) It detailed the safety work which would be carried out at Valley Parade as a result of the club's promotion, admitting the ground was "inadequate in so many ways for modern requirements". Tickets are $20 each, and all proceeds will go toward funding the purchase of two new twin custom KME fire trucks for the department.. He later said: "I have never known anything like it, either before, or since. Following the hearing in 1986, a test case was brought against the club by David Britton, a police sergeant serving on the day, and by Susan Fletcher, who lost her husband John, 11-year-old son Andrew, John's brother Peter and his father Edmond in the fire. Powered By, Research,Grants and Collaboration Committee, University Institutional Ethics Committee, Buildings and Estate Services Committee (Including Transport), Students counselling and Mentoring Committee, University Institutional Animal Ethics Committee, Literary Arts, Cultural and Important Days Celebrations Committee, Students, Staff . Gambling can be addictive. In March 1985 the club's plans became more apparent when it took delivery of steel for a new roof. Led by former Leeds United and England international Trevor Cherry, the Bantams won only their third divisional title and earned a return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1937. Thank you for telling this," said the woman, who was perhaps 60 or so, to one of the young people whose stage play, based on football's Bradford disaster, had just concluded on the small theatre space behind her. Instead, there is nothing. 1985 disaster in Valley Parade Stadium, Bradford, England. It was a massive tragedy for everybody at the club.". The 1984/85 season had been one of the most successful in Bradford City's 82-year history. Their initial aim at that time was to promote BCFC in the community by increasing the fan base and awareness of the Club. Elizabeth JONES. Forty-year-old Gerald Ormondroyd also died that day, along with his 12-year old twin sons Richard and Robert, just two of ten families to lose more than one member at Valley Parade.. by LoveCurryPies Fri May 11, 2018 9:09 am, Post Video via Citizen. It will stay in my memory for ever. [17], One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches (230mm) below the floor boards. Still one of the two or three most haunting videos I've ever seen. Ormondroyd praises 'phenomenal' Bradford Video Unavailable Technical details : A problem was encountered - please try again later Former Bradford and Aston Villa striker Ian Ormondroyd is. Thoughts and prayers to the 56 who lost their lives in this truly awful and harrowing tragedy. At the time of the disaster, many stadiums had perimeter fencing between the stands and the pitch to prevent incidents of football hooliganism particularly pitch invasions which were rife during the 1980s. Bradford Fire. "[37], Fletcher subsequently published a book in 2015, Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire which revealed a history of fires at businesses owned by the Bradford City chairman Stafford Heginbotham. [32] Speaking at the close of the case, the Judge said "They (the club) were at fault, no one in authority seemed to have appreciated the fire hazard. Tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the footballing world as today marks 31 years since the Bradford City fire disaster. We stayed in the pub for hours. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? For every person who died or was injured it is easy to forget that their death/injury impacts dozens or even hundreds of family members and friends . ", Ian says he's hoping the Bantamspast project will look at a side of the club which hasn't been revealed before: "This is more about the fans, the people and the ground - even the people who don't come to the ground.". See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover James' connections and jobs at similar companies. This is according to the current Zoopla estimates. [3], At the age of 33, Ormondroyd retired from football due to arthritis in his left ankle.[4]. But they had done their job. The other, situated by the main entrance, was donated by the club after its 7.5million (13million today) rebuilding of the original main stand in 2002. Whether they don't feel welcome, for instance. Part of the service was also held in Urdu and Punjabi as a sign of appreciation to the local ethnically Asian Subcontinental community in Manningham, Bradford and around Valley Parade who had opened their homes to Bradford City supporters to provide assistance in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. As Bantams Community Manager, Ian hopes it will reveal what people living around the ground really think. As CT mentioned earlier it is seeing the names of family groups who perished that day,having just probably set off as normal from home around lunch time for not just the game but the joy and excitement of a promotion party, that really gets to me. "I feel like I've been in my 20s for years," he says and his life now south-west London flatshare, single professional seems to reflect the world of a restive soul, struggling for an anchor. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. BRADFORD, N.H. (AP) An explosion and a fire at a school bus transportation company building in Bradford critically injured two people, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's . The fans even say, 'I'm not particularly liking what I'm seeing on the field at the moment, but I enjoy the company of Billy and John'. All you could see was a black cloud, all you could hear was sirens and screams and all you could smell was burning.. But looking back and seeing how much it really affected my dad makes me realise what we went through." Frederick Hindle (76) You could hardly breathe. He says he wants people to "look back on it in decades to come and think that somebody did some good work here and that the local fans and local people showed what the club meant to them and how much the club meant to the local community. The Bradford City stadium fire was the worst fire disaster in the history of football. City were presented with the Division Three championship trophy before kick-off and such was the air of excitement that over 11,000 people were at Valley Parade that day, almost double the usual average for the season. The speed at which fire engulfs the entire stand is insane. Martin Fletcher, a survivor who lost 3 family members is convinced of it. Peachs Picks: Five managers under pressure, Wigan Athletic: Tour needs our full support!, The Weekly Gab: Championship relegation picks, Kenny Dalglish: I couldnt have picked two better sides to play for, Sir Kenny Dalglish, MBE, Joins FansBet as Giving Back Ambassador, Getcha Gooner! Coach Terry Yorath described the events as "the worst day in my life. Or for a full-blown 91-day inquiry like the one which investigated the 1987 fire at London's King's Cross St Pancras Tube station, though Bradford claimed twice as many lives. . My friend was there in the stand opposite that one. Supporters searched for fire extinguishers while the Police began to evacuate the stand withflames soon spreading to the roof and across the wooden steps as timber and other materials began to fall onto the crowd. A charred copy of the local paper from Monday, 4 November 1968, was among the litter. A PROJECT telling the story of the role of the community living near Valley Parade during the Bradford City fire disaster is appealing for residents to come forward. contact the editor here. There was a bit of paper on fire, but it was so small. Lincoln City supporter Chris Ashton shared his experience of the disaster in an interview with the Lincolnshire Echo, saying: I remember it being just before half-time and out of the corner of my eye I became conscious of the smoke coming from a section of the stand opposite. He returned to Bradford City as football in the community officer, and also works as a commentator and match day summariser for Bradford City games with Pulse Radio. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Gerald Ormondroyd (201296072)? Valley Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was built in 1886 and was initially the home ground of Manningham Rugby Football Club. Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. The names of the 56 victims of the Valley Parade Fire Disaster - 11 May 1985 . ? pic.twitter.com/VkqiAEXBR8, billy clarke (@billyclarke7) May 11, 2016. The speed of the fire was astonishing. 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