11th May 1985

The cruel and terrible irony of the fire disaster was that the steel to replace the wooden stand roof was lying in the club car park, ready for erection on the following Monday.

That homely stand was described by journalist Simon Inglis as 'a loveable tangle of pillars and struts'. He said sitting in the stand was 'like watching football from the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel'. Four fiery minutes shattered the sentimentality and destroyed hundreds of lives.

The afternoon of 11th May 1985 was sultry; a scrappy wind disturbed the bright sunshine. A carefree atmosphere had descended on Valley Parade. The actual game against Lincoln City was a sideshow; the fans packed the ground to celebrate an all too rare success.

The main stand in 1976

The club's remarkable rise from bankruptcy to Champions inside two years had captured the popular imagination. There was talk of the club's success being an inspiration from which Bradford could begin a renaissance and drag itself out of recession. For the first time in many years, there was a spring in the step of many a Bradfordian.

Near the end of an uneventful first half, smoke began to rise from beneath the wooden bench seats at the Kop end of the Main Stand. As the first flames appeared a few fans spilled onto the pitch, otherwise there was little concern. The laughter turned to horror as the flames erupted and raced down the roof to consume the old Edwardian stand in the matter of a few terrible minutes. The destruction was so rapid, so absolute that there was barely time to realise the human consequences. Thousands looked on in helpless disbelief and, though there were acts of extreme heroism, fifty-six fans died and many hundreds more were injured.

The myths that have grown up in the wake of the disaster often cloud the reality. Whilst a brave few fought to aid the injured, stones were thrown at a television crew filming the fire. As the majority stood in stunned disbelief, a group of young fans sang and danced in front of the flames. Understandably, people's reactions were mixed in the face of a disaster that was beyond their comprehension, yet was unfolding in front of their eyes.

Away from the fiery tumult knots of Bradfordians gathered on the city's hillsides and watched a huge pall of black smoke turn Bradford into Dunkirk. After dark the blackened skeleton of the stand was illuminated with arc lights. Under that eerie light the true scale of the disaster unfolded.

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.

The disaster fund collected an incredible £4m. Bradford solicitor Roger Suddards worked dutifully to ensure a fair distribution of the money. Bradford Council's Gordon Moore marshalled social services and care agencies to do practical things such as help the bereaved and handle the thousands of letters and donations that poured in from all over the world. There were countless other individuals who worked hard in the aftermath to ensure that something positive came out of the city's darkest day.

A memorial service was held at Valley Parade on July 21st 1985.

The real tragedy of 11th May 1985 was played out behind closed doors, as across the city families had to come to terms with the fact that their loved ones wouldn't be coming home from the match.

May 11 Images

Without doubt the most difficult aspect of the Centenary exhibition was how to approach the events of 11 May 1985. After much debate and agonising we decided to present it in a simple and factual manner.

The fire - and its aftermath - was one of the most significant days in the history of the entire city of Bradford. In order for future generations fully to appreciate the impact of the fire, we have to show images that may well be distressing.

We apologise unreservedly if that is the case. As someone who was dragged by the hood of my coat over the Paddock wall, this is a raw area indeed. However, in order to ensure that the harsh lessons of that terrible day are never forgotten, we have to tell the story in its entirety.

David Pendleton