5/11/85

[arana peligrosa]

Today is the 30 year anniversary of the Bradford City fire that took nearly 60 lives. Take this opportunity to remember all those (and the families involved) that on May 11 1985 only went to see a game and never returned home. Two of the (56) deceased were from opposition team Lincoln City incidentally.


John Douglas Ackroyd 32 years

Edmund Anderton 68 years

Alex Shaw Baines 70 years

Herbert Bamford 72 years

Chris James Bulmer 11 years

Jack Leo Coxon 76 years

Leo Anthony Coxon 44 years

David James Crabtree 30 years

Harry Crabtree 76 years

Derek Dempsey 46 years

Muriel Firth 56 years

Samuel Firth 86 years

Andrew Fletcher 11 years

Edmond Fletcher 63 years

John Fletcher 34 years

Peter Fletcher 32 years

Nellie Forster 64 years

Felix Greenwood 13 years

Peter Greenwood 46 years

Rupert Greenwood 11 years

Norman Hall 71 years

Peter Halliday 34 years

Arthur Hartley 79 years

Edith Hindle 79 years

Frederick Hindle 76 years

Helen Hodgson 15 years

Eric Hudson 72 years

John Hughes 64 years

John Hutton 74 years

Walter Kerr 76 years

Charles Lovell 43 years

Jack Ludlam 55 years

Stuart McPherson 39 years

Irene McPherson 28 years

Roy Mason 74 years

Norman Middleton 84 years

Harold Mitchell 79 years

Elizabeth Muhl 21 years

Ernest Normington 74 years

Gerald Ormondroyd 40 years

Richard Ormondroyd 12 years

Robert Ormondroyd 12 years

Sylvia Pollard 69 years

Herbert Price 78 years

Amanda Jayne Roberts 20 years

Jane Sampson 18 years

William Stacey 72 years

Craig Stockman 14 years

Jane Stockman 16 years

Trevor Stockman 38 years

Howard Turner 41 years

Sarah Turner 16 years

Simon Ward 18 years

Robert Wedgeworth 72 years

William James West 78 years

Adrian Wright 11 years


Thoughts are with you all on this day

[hallamblue]

Thank you that SJ.

It was an honour to read every last name and think of especially the younger ones amongst them - I wonder what you would have been doing with your life now?

RIP every last one of them

How can Football have so easily have forgotten these people??

[Dazzz67]

Read every name and age, heartbreaking to see families destroyed, such a terrible loss of life.

RIP to them all.

[Bluemike]

I remember only too well watching this as it unfolded, grim to say the least and the speed with which the stand went up was frightening in the extreme. Rest in peace to every last one of them, and god forbid things don't go our way saturday, lets remember, it is ONLY a game and we will get to go to many more, this 56 people won't.

[marko69]

Saw the thread title and thought, "Guy Fawkes Day, 1985? What will this be about?"

Opened it and, ironically, it's about a different fire. Forgot you Americans reversed the day and month thing.

That's a sad list. Entire families lost. Puts it all into perspective.

RIP all, and thoughts with surviving relatives.

[arana peligrosa]

They were never able to fully ascertain the root cause of the disaster. Best guess would be the discarded cigarette theory dropped by some "careless individual" that caught some garbage under the wooden seating. The venue itself was in poor condition with some sub-standard facilities that were believe due to be upgraded that summer. As it was the end game of the season and the third division league trophy was to be presented before start of play, it was supposed to be a celebratory event. No-one could have envisaged of what was to occur that day.

1984 - 85 in fact was one of the darkest seasons you could recall. Not only what occured here, but The Heysel incident in Belgium, often rioting fans including the infamous Millwall attack at Luton and on a lesser note, George Best and his (short) time in Jail. All-seater stadia also was still some years away. Whatever occured on the field (that year) by winning teams i.e. Manchester United (fa cup winners) Everton (league champions) and Juventus (european cup winners) was (and will be) overshadowed by all other events off it.

[Bluemike]

Not sure if anyone else is aware of the conspiracy theories about the fire but this is a very interesting read.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 83156.html

[marko69]

Had noted that the Fletcher's lost four family members. Must have been an uncomprehending nightmare for the 12 year old Martin Fletcher. Good to read that he has never given up looking for answers.

This quote from Popplewell in 2011 is bordering astonishing;

"The citizens of Bradford behaved with quiet dignity and great courage. They did not harbour conspiracy theories. They did not seek endless further inquiries,” he wrote. “They buried their dead, comforted the bereaved and succoured the injured. They organised a sensible compensation scheme and moved on. Is there, perhaps, a lesson there for the Hillsborough campaigners?"

Did he get away with saying that? That will have hurt many a Liverpudlian family. I'm bloody annoyed reading it.