Bradford City disaster

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The Bradford City disaster took place on May 11, 1985 when a flash fire occurred at the Valley Parade stadium of English football club Bradford City during a match against Lincoln City. On that day, Bradford were celebrating winning the Football League Third Division trophy.

It is believed that the fire started when a fan disposed of a cigarette into a plastic cup, which fell underneath the stands and into the built-up rubbish that had been accumulating under the stands over the years. The fire started in the main stand and quickly spread due to the flammable rubbish. When people in the back attempted to escape, they found that the exit doors were locked to prevent others from sneaking in without paying. Due to its wood and asbestos construction, and the intensity of the fire, the stand quickly collapsed (said to be within 4 minutes of the fire starting), claiming 56 lives with hundreds more injured.

The disaster led to the introduction of new legislation to increase safety in the UK's football grounds. The video of that day's events is used in fire awareness training for today's sports grounds.

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