May the 11th 1985. Doesn't seem that long ago. RIP the 56. I recall reading some of the stories from fans that experienced that day, and how it affected them at later games. Some were graphic, others quite poignant, talking of nameless faces that used to stand near them that are no longer there, and not really knowing why. For those that haven't seen it, this is in real time. [video=youtube_share;TJ_vG4cHRKU]http://youtu.be/TJ_vG4cHRKU[/video]
RIP the 56 and thoughts to those who endured that day. Is there a minutes silence before matches today?
No words can describe what I just watched. A truly awful, sad day for football on May 11th 1985. RIP the 56 - A minutes silence should be held today in all games. I know you shouldn't compare tragedies like this (Hillsborough disaster). But this disaster never gets a mention and the 56 people that lost their lives don't get any remembrance or recognition they deserve.
15.44 when the clip started. 15.49 when John Helm says 'the stand has almost gone'. As HullCityAFC says above 'RIP the 56 - A minutes silence should be held today in all games. I know you shouldn't compare tragedies like this (Hillsborough disaster) [YES IT SHOULD]. But this disaster never gets a mention and the 56 people that lost their lives don't get any remembrance or recognition they deserve'. Quite frankly it's a national disgrace that nothing is done about this. Still, some have got a fooking B league to talk about eh?
It's because it doesn't involve Liverpool and instead of perpetual wallowing in self pity the Bradford fans chose dignified remembrance. RIP.
It was awful and I agree that it never seems to get it's 'share' of acts of remembrance etc. RIP I, as many of us on here will, remember a lot of disasters in the 1980s. On land, at sea, in stadiums, underground, bombs, planes: it was not a good time. Personally I think it is wrong to compare and argue about which is worst, which deserves more remembrance etc. Each one was uniquely tragic, and of infinite significance to those involved or personally affected by it, and should be left like that. Respectfully acknowledging those who lost their life regardless of their personal background, circumstances and choices. The 80s were a grim time for many people. The disasters that happened certainly contributed towards that. But I do think that it is worth pointing out that because of those disasters things have definitely changed for the better in areas such as public safety (no smoking in stadiums), stadium design, building regulations, evacuation training, maritime procedures (full safety checks before ferry departure), airport security, and I could go on. This has resulted in Britain being a safer place. That should be the legacy of all who were involved in these horrible, and as we now know, probably preventable disasters. Sermon over. It is Sunday after all.
Obviously I was too young to be aware of it at the time, but I'd obviously heard about it but didn't really understand how it could actually happen without fences etc holding the fans in. When I found out it had been on TV I went on YouTube and watched it. Even knowing what was going to happen it was shocking, so I can't imagine what it would have been like for people watching it unfold live, then there's those who were there, and the commentator having to keep talking through it as well. I'd suggest the difference is more down to the aftermath than who it happened to. Unless Bradford fans were accused of pissing on and robbing from the dieing victims or otherwise villified by people desperate to cover their own arses I'd expect them to make less of a fuss and to keep it amongst themselves.
If I remember right Bradford city had been warned about that stand and all the Rubbish underneath said stand ,even by the fire service . Those running the club should have got bloody locked up for a long time. That policeman whose hair just burst into flames on the pitch.... Sad its not remembered with a minutes silence for those who died that day..
I knew someone who was in the stand that day. He was lucky in that he was near the front and able to quickly leap out onto the pitch. The cruel irony being that game was to be the last before the stand was torn down. A truly dreadful event. RIP to the 56.
I hope those dickheads who are seen dancing and gurning infront of the camera, while their fellow supporters and stadium burned feel completely shamed. Although I suspect they'll still be dickheads. Terrible tragedy.
On the same day there was a massive riot at Birmingham v Leeds, many injured, a few killed there also! I was down at Brentford celebrating our promotion.
Start of the year there was program one morning called Real Lives Reunited. It showed a segment about how John Hawley helped save a old guy from the fire. They reunited them. RIP 56
I think I'm right in saying that the majority of people died were the ones who ran towards the emergency exits at the back of the stand only to find that they were locked. This was in order to stop people sneaking in!!! I might be wrong with this though! If everyone had headed for the pitch instead of instinctively heading for the exits, many more would have survived! The fans jumping about like idiots could probably be forgiven in that they maybe didnt know the extent of the disaster! That only a stand had burnt down, not that many had lost their lives!!!
That was ONE newspaper that made those claims and in particular the editor who ran the story against the pleas of his newsroom. And if it had happened to Liverpool we'd have had a witch-hunt to blame whoever it was who decided to lock the turnstiles and couldnt open them again so hundreds were literally trapped between locked gates and the fire.
