Football's Darkest Day?

[Jim Shepherd]

11th May 1985.

The Bradford Fire. 56 dead
Birmingham v Leeds. Fans rioting. One dead.

I'd been to watch West Brom v Arsenal with my dad and brother that day. As we drove away from the ground, listening to what was then Radio 2 my dad vowed he'd never go to another game. It was all too close for comfort.

Three weeks before Heysel and 4 years before Hillsboro this should have been the day when football changed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/danwalker/2010/05/remembering_the_bradford_fire.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2359453/Bradford-fire-forgotten-tragedy-of-the-Eighties.html

 

[Herschel]

Like it Jim.

It should never be forgotten.

What a tragedy......a totally avoidable one as well.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Yes,that month was a low point in English football....It is often forgotten,the trouble at St Andrews that day when a 15 year old boy was killed...A mate of mine was at the Birmingham v Leeds game & he said it was a miracle no one else was killed during the riot..No wonder crowds were so low in the FL the next season..

 

[Red and White Zider]

Jim ive already started a thread on this in top to bottom forum mate

http://www.exeweb.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

 

[Northants Grecian]

and yet iirc fag ends were found in the OG on sunday morning ....

Why anyone would think it sensible to smoke in a wooden grandstand in 2010 is beyond me ...

 

[angelic upstart]

I saw the video of the fire on youtube (I believe I posted it on here at the time) once, it genuinely shocked me.

To me it was a terrible, terrible tragedy.

 

[urinal]

I remember watching it on TV as it happened. Probably the most dreadful thing I have ever seen.

RIP all those who died.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

I saw the video of the fire on youtube (I believe I posted it on here at the time) once, it genuinely shocked me.

To me it was a terrible, terrible tragedy.

I remember watching it as part of a health and safety video whilst I was working for Great Western (before First got hold of them). It was awful. Everybody in the room was visably shaken.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Also in that year..The Luton v Millwall game...March iirc...

Football grounds were not safe places in those days..Not a flippant comment,but fact...We all take for granted,some of what appears to be OTT safety regulations at grounds these days,but in the lower divisions then,there we none..

 

[Jim Shepherd]

The most poignant piece I've read today was almongst the first.

The In Memorium article on Bradford's website says so much about the sort of supporter who perished that day. Look at the names, look at the ages and begin to imagine what was lost.