One Day in May - Bradford City fire

Just watched this on BT Sport.
Grim viewing but very poignant.

 

This was one of football's darkest days...It is hard to imagine what terrible deaths many of these people suffered..

 

4.5 minutes Reg, that's how long it took for the entire stand to burn to the ground.
Absolutely shocking, all those innocent people.

 

Didn't know till the other week that there had been a story by one family memeber listing the details of a whole load of other "fires' that the chairman had through his business life, not saying for defo that the guy was involved but definitely suss

 

The bit that terrified me was at the end when the ex copper asked what would have happened if the cages to control the crowd had been there.
100 times worse

 

Well aye, indeed.
Scary eh?

 

Remember watching this on Grandstand or World of Sport without knowing that people were actually dying. Thought it was just a fire that had taken hold from the rubbish that had accumulated under the wooden seats.
Horrible scenes obviously made worse by the fatalities.

 

Excuse my ramble but ......... I was once driving home from Worksop and noticed the woods were on fire.

I stopped the car and went to see what was what, I was met by a forest ranger who said the fire brigade were on their way but could I help.

Of course I agreed and he gave me a stick with a square of rubber screwed to it.

I went into the forest and started to beat out the flames but it was tough going and the smoke got into my lungs. The flames were leaping around the upper reaches of the pines, until I was surrounded by fire and I was very frightened.

I looked around and there was no one there but me, I wanted to run but, for some reason, couldn't leave the trees to burn. The heat was unbelievable and I noticed the hairs on my arms were crackling and my head felt strange, I thought this was the place where I'd die.

Then the firemen arrived and sprayed me with their hoses to bring my body temperature down.
As they went into the blazing forest I remember thinking they were insane. I got home and thanked the Lord for allowing me to see my wife & kids again.
I coughed up black nuggets for a week or so and thought it would never stop.

The following week I sat and watched 'Calendar News' as people burned to death and cried. I was at Bradford, when we next played them, and cried again as someone climbed out of our end and placed a tribute on the centre circle.
You might think you're atoughfucker but a few flames and you're begging for yer mam.