On this day….27 years ago, a fire at Bradford City’s
Valley Parade football ground claimed the lives of 56 spectators including 11
children and 19 pensioners.
The blaze swept
through a wooden stand a few minutes before half time, the flames speeding
along faster than supporters could run, feasting on debris that had been
accumulating beneath the structure for decades. Quite
legally, there were no fire extinguishers in the stand, and doors through which
people could have escaped to the street were locked.
Ironically, the
match was meant to be a celebration, with the Bradford team parading the Third
Division championship trophy they had already won, and work had been due to
start on replacing the wooden roof of the stand the following Monday.
The government
set up a judicial inquiry into the disaster, which came up with a host of
recommendations for stadium safety including banning smoking in potentially dangerous
areas, and ensuring that exits could be opened from inside in an emergency. For the full story, see A Disastrous History of Britain.
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