Disaster of Valley Parades

The disaster of Valley Parade is a fire which took place the May 11th 1985 at the stage of Valley Parade to Bradford. At the time of this fire 56 spectators found death and more than 260 were wounded. The English team of Bradford City, in residence, faced Lincoln City then.

May 11th, 1985, more than 11.000 supporters go to Valley Parade to celebrate the promotion of Bradford City in the second division at the time of their meeting vis-a-vis Lincoln City. The large platform was crammed because much supporters had brought family and friends to celebrate a rare success for the Bantams . But with 15:43, five minutes before the half-time, a small fire starts in the platform. The investigation will conclude with a badly extinct cigarette having put fire at the waste accumulated since several years under the steps.

At the beginning, the disaster was not taken with the serious one. The police officers on the spot who heard with their radio that there was a fire at the stage regarded that as a joke. Moreover, no advertisement was made via the sound system (failing in addition) to encourage people to leave the platform. Quickly, a scuffle is created.

The fire, which had started in the corner nearest to the kop , was poked by a strong breeze towards the platform. Its smoke accumulated under the low roof with two sides coats tar, propagating fire initially vertically, then horizontally. With 15:46, that is to say less than three minutes after, the flashover was generalized and the platform was nothing any more but one gigantic blazing inferno.

The majority of the spectators present in the platform precipitated on the ground after being last with the top of the wall located in bottom of the platform, but several elderly and of the small children (who felt safe more in this platform cash of the sitted places) could not do as much of it. In spite of the efforts of the police officers and other spectators, several found death on the extreme steps which crumbled. Some tried to flee by the emergency exits to the back of the platform (by where they had entered) but the club had closed them with key to avoid the intrusion of resquilleurs in the stage. It is there that were the majority of deaths.

The tragedy was diffused on line on television during the regional sporting emission of the chain Yorkshire Television , where there were insupportable images spectators trailed out of the blazing inferno.

During an inspection of the stage, before the season, the local firemen had announced their concern about an important accumulation of waste under the platform. But Bradford City intended to replace it the following year, and no preventive action was carried out at that time.

Following the catastrophe, laws were voted. They stipulate that the platforms of the stages must pass from the inspections of fire protection, a prohibition to smoke in the platforms out of wooden and an obligation to have adequate emergency exits without obstruction like walls and nettings.

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