Memory Lane RIP The Bradford 56

[davewebbsbrain]

The sheer amount of rubbish that had accumulated under that stand was a disgrace. They found a newspaper cutting dating back to 1971, so it had been at least 14 years since that area had been cleared.

A dark, dark day.

One of the survivors - Martin Fletcher - has written extensively about the tragedy http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/the-story-of-the-bradford-fire-book-extract

I've read about this before. Seems to be a lot more than a co-incidence for it to happens at places Stafford owned or had an interest in

 

[SouthLondonShrimper]

The only saving grace is the fact that unlike Hillsborough, the Bradford fans were not penned in. imagine if that had been the case, deary me, Hillsborough wouldn't have been anywhere near the amount lost at Bradford.

 

[Stuart W]

What's that got to do with Hillsborough?

I am just trying to get a sense of balance. Despite the proven cover up by the South Yorkshire Police, none of these events are that clear cut that all blame should be attributable to one side. At Heysel, the fashionable view is that the stadium was unfit for a European Cup Final and therefore the authorities were again to blame. Fact is, if the supporters behaved like normal human beings the tragedy there would have been avoided. I get the fact that at Hillsborough there were a lot of lies and offensive accusations about fans p...ing on bodies and stealing from corpses etc. But from a wider perspective, you need to ask why were fences there in the first place? Answer, Heysel and other such appalling acts of football violence in the 70's and 80's.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I am just trying to get a sense of balance. Despite the proven cover up by the South Yorkshire Police, none of these events are that clear cut that all blame should be attributable to one side. At Heysel, the fashionable view is that the stadium was unfit for a European Cup Final and therefore the authorities were again to blame. Fact is, if the supporters behaved like normal human beings the tragedy there would have been avoided. I get the fact that at Hillsborough there were a lot of lies and offensive accusations about fans p...ing on bodies and stealing from corpses etc. But from a wider perspective, you need to ask why were fences there in the first place? Answer, Heysel and other such appalling acts of football violence in the 70's and 80's.

I think the families of the 96, and the Judge and jury who found that the fans played absolutely no part in the tragedy, may disagree with you there.

 

[rigsby]

The only saving grace is the fact that unlike Hillsborough, the Bradford fans were not penned in. imagine if that had been the case, deary me, Hillsborough wouldn't have been anywhere near the amount lost at Bradford.

The point is the FA and the powers that be, did not learn from the Bradford disaster. Had the pens been easy to open then the whole Hillsborough saga would have never happened.

 

[SouthLondonShrimper]

I am just trying to get a sense of balance. Despite the proven cover up by the South Yorkshire Police, none of these events are that clear cut that all blame should be attributable to one side. At Heysel, the fashionable view is that the stadium was unfit for a European Cup Final and therefore the authorities were again to blame. Fact is, if the supporters behaved like normal human beings the tragedy there would have been avoided. I get the fact that at Hillsborough there were a lot of lies and offensive accusations about fans p...ing on bodies and stealing from corpses etc. But from a wider perspective, you need to ask why were fences there in the first place? Answer, Heysel and other such appalling acts of football violence in the 70's and 80's.

Football fans were seen as a disease in the 70s and 80s. A tory government that was obsessed with killing the working class didn't help the issue. If it hadn't been Liverpool fans, it would've been another group of fans, that's a fact. the treatment of fans by the FA, authorities and the government was always destined to end up with a disaster of some description. The behaviour at Heysel happened week in week out across the country, the issue was that on that particular day the behaviour took place in a stadium not fit to accommodate a fly let alone thousands of fans. Add to that the violent nature of the opposition fans and its a disaster waiting to happen.

The issue with Hillsborough is the blatant lies and blatant smear campaign that took place. lessons weren't learnt and apologies were not meant in 2012. SY police apologised for its part in the disaster in 2012 yet still felt it appropriate and morally correct to use £24million of taxpayers money during the 2014-16 inquiry to then spew out the very lies they had apologised for in 2012.

 

[rigsby]

I think the families of the 96, and the Judge and jury who found that the fans played absolutely no part in the tragedy, may disagree with you there.

Who says the families or the jury are trying to blame one side.

 

[Stuart W]

Football fans were seen as a disease in the 70s and 80s. A tory government that was obsessed with killing the working class didn't help the issue. If it hadn't been Liverpool fans, it would've been another group of fans, that's a fact. the treatment of fans by the FA, authorities and the government was always destined to end up with a disaster of some description. The behaviour at Heysel happened week in week out across the country, the issue was that on that particular day the behaviour took place in a stadium not fit to accommodate a fly let alone thousands of fans. Add to that the violent nature of the opposition fans and its a disaster waiting to happen.

The issue with Hillsborough is the blatant lies and blatant smear campaign that took place. lessons weren't learnt and apologies were not meant in 2012. SY police apologised for its part in the disaster in 2012 yet still felt it appropriate and morally correct to use £24million of taxpayers money during the 2014-16 inquiry to then spew out the very lies they had apologised for in 2012.

That's right. Don't blame any fans "cos the behaviour was the same, week in week out", no let's blame Thatcher and the Tory government. Easy target. No wonder we have become a society full of victims with nobody taking responsibility for their actions.

 

[SouthLondonShrimper]

That's right. Don't blame any fans "cos the behaviour was the same, week in week out", no let's blame Thatcher and the Tory government. Easy target. No wonder we have become a society full of victims with nobody taking responsibility for their actions.

Hold on a minute, i'm not saying fans were blameless. Far from it. I was merely trying to redress the balance of the 2 particular scenarios. The reaction to Hillsborough was based on what had been seen at Heysel, "2 and 2 together, guilty by association, no smoke without fire" etc etc. Heysel was hooliganism, Hillsborough was the fault of the authorities in charge of the safety of football fans.

 

[Swiss Tony]

No it stands for the British Broadcasting Corporation.The best of its kind in the world.

.
You can have it if you like.

 

[ozzie]

Was at Exeter V Tranmere?? that day,future wife was in Germany,so i got "hammered" in the evening,not knowing what had happened.
Got up sunday and got some papers,saw the headlines and my thoughts were.....what 3rd world country has this happened in again.....sadly ours..
My father ,who lived near Sheffield at the time,taped and showed me news reports(weeks later) about the fire and brave POLICEMAN who tried their best to help...one i remember his hair,just bust into flames as he tried to help.
RIP the fans..and thank you ..the people who tried to help.....nowadays most people would try and film it on their mobiles

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I remember watching it as it happened. Probably one of the most horrific things I will ever see.

My abiding memory is that chap just walking out, covered in flames, and everyone just trying with all their might to put the fire out.

Heartbreaking

 

[jaffa1]

What i didn't realise until the other day was that two Lincoln fans died in that tragic event....

 

[twobob]

What i didn't realise until the other day was that two Lincoln fans died in that tragic event....

I watched the Blues from that stand only 3 seasons before that and think about what might have been, considering all the years of accumulated rubbish under it.

 

[Mick]

I watched the Blues from that stand only 3 seasons before that and think about what might have been, considering all the years of accumulated rubbish under it.

Yes, very much so.

Sat in that same stand the season before the disaster watching Steve Phillips earn us a point from a 1-1 draw.
Seem to remember we got up t'North incredibly early that day and may not have been in the best of shape for a quick getaway.

 

[AndyT]

I watched the Blues from that stand only 3 seasons before that and think about what might have been, considering all the years of accumulated rubbish under it.

If it was the 2-1 defeat on a Tuesday night in 1980-81, then I was in that stand, as well.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

I can recommend Martin Fletcher's book on the fire - it will make you think, and also weep.