By Jason McKeown
The final day of the season. Blue skies and spring sunshine. Champagne on ice and medals waiting to be worn. Valley Parade gets ready to host a bumper crowd and promotion celebrations.
We could be talking about this coming Saturday. But those 32 words above could equally be applied to 40 years ago. The 11 May 1985, in fact. When Bradford City’s final day of the season began with celebrations of promotion to the Second Division. Unlike now, there were no pre-match jitters from City supporters as they descended upon Valley Parade for the visit of Lincoln. The Bantams had already sealed the championship five days earlier by beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Burden Park. They were up, and all that was left to do was to lift the trophy.
And that’s what happened. Captain Peter Jackson proudly hoisted the silverware above his head, and the players embarked on a lap of honour ahead of kick off. They were applauded and cheered by a packed out Valley Parade, with 11,076 supporters present.
56 of them would never go home.
Sadly, what should have been one of the club’s greatest days turned into its darkest hour. Just before half time of a drab 0-0 game, fire broke out underneath the main stand wooden floorboards. It spread quickly and devastatingly. Fans tried to escape. Many did, but not all succeeded. 54 Bradford City and two Lincoln City supporters lost their lives. Hundreds suffered physical injuries. Many more were left with mental scars of witnessing such harrowing events.
In the minutes, hours, days, weeks and months that followed, the city of Bradford showed remarkable courage and stoicism to come together, mourn and slowly rebuild. There was every reason to blame the football club for what happened, but few took that route. Football should not really have mattered anymore and yet it did, offering some form of purpose for shattered lives.
Valley Parade was rebuilt. The club has gone onto have a rollercoaster 40 years of highs and lows. But no matter what has been happening on the pitch, the Bradford City fanbase has never forgotten the awful events that happened, and the people who lost their lives. Every year at the final home game of the season, we come together and bow our heads for a minute of silence.
We will always remember the 56.
On this, the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Valley Parade fire disaster, the modern day Bradford City has an opportunity to do something incredibly poignant, heartfelt and touching for the community of Bradford. It can achieve automatic promotion on this day of all days. Do what the team of 85 did. And trigger the sort of celebration that 40 years ago was so cruelly cut short.
For the 2024/25 Bradford City side, there is a chance to achieve immortality status by doing just that. None of them, of course, were even born when the tragedy happened. The odd player, most notably Bobby Pointon, will have grown up knowing quite a bit about it. But for others, learning all about the events of 11 May 1985 comes with learning what it is to be a Bradford City player. You assume lots of responsibilities when you wear those famous claret and amber colours. That includes understanding the club’s history and the gravity of occasions like this.
It’s no secret that this isn’t an easy club to play for. We’re a demanding bunch. Unhappy about our League Two status. Harbouring grudges about eight years of struggle. Quick to turn and quick to criticise. Many players try and many players fail. But this group have proven they can cut it. They’ve just delivered us the best Valley Parade record in decades. They’ve stood up to the pressure and embraced the challenge, delivering us lots of brilliant moments.
Now, they just need to go out and give us one more.
Bradford City is a club that knows a lot of struggle. Set-backs. Greyness. Countless final days where on the pitch there was nothing at stake. Promotions are rare and will never be taken for granted, but the circumstances of how this potential promotion could be achieved would make it extra special.
A wall of noise will greet the players as they come out on Saturday. But for one, hugely important minute, there will be complete silence, as we contemplate the harrowing events that took place inside this stadium four decades ago. When the minute is up, there will be a huge roar – and then a massive opportunity for the players to pay the biggest of tributes to those who lost their lives supporting this football club.
And if Bradford City do succeed in sealing promotion on this 40th anniversary, there won’t be too many dry eyes in the house.
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If Saturday’s crowd exceeds 23,580 it will be the highest league crowd at Valley Parade since 19th February 1949 when 27,083 saw City beat Hull City 4-2 in Division 3 North !
Its worth remembering that the fire tragedy wasn’t limited to just ‘the 56’.
Its difficult to explain to people who might not have even been born in 1985 that the tragedy claimed 56 lives but also touched the hundreds that were injured and the entire Bradford community. Its legacy lives on in the people of Bradford, in those supporters who were there, those who were not and even those who didn’t follow football at all. I think people forget that. Its too easy to hang your hat on ‘the 56’ as a simple tagline but the reality is far deeper, complex and poignant than that.
People try to compare it to Hillsborough – but there’s no comparison. Hillsborough involved cover ups and conspiracies by the police, state and media. The fire was a tragic accident, no scape goats, no villain, no anger, just grief.
I hope the team do it on Saturday. It’s a shame they couldn’t secure promotion earlier because it will be a big crowd and an emotional day. It will be up to the players to set that aside somewhat and complete the job. I have to say that I don’t fancy our chances in the play offs given our current form.
I was standing in the Bradford end near the front. Final match of the season. It was a boring affair. City were already promoted, so there was nothing to play for. I saw the smoke from the far end of the stand but play was continuing and very quickly there were flames. We were encourage to get onto the pitch and eventually guided out of the ground. The memory of the event stays with me and always will do. Those who died are always in my thoughts and I will always think of those who never went home. Rest in peace supporters of Bradford City and Lincoln who past that day and died as a consequence of that fire..
Fine words Jason, a great article as ever.
As a wide eyed 12 year old in my first season attending matches we decided instead of going on The Kop we’d go in the stand to be nearer the presentation. What transpired still haunts me today . The day before the fire our English teacher set us an assignment simply titled The Ecsape . Little did I know the next day I’d be scrambling for my life . It was truly tragic for the poor souls who died but make no mistake this tragedy still affects large chunks of our City to this day. C’mon lads let’s do this ! RIP 56 x
Indeed. Don’t underestimate the impacts of PTSD. We didn’t talk about it which means I expect many suffered mentally and still do
There hav3 been times when.i have been so proud to be a City fan.
I think of the entire end of Wembley chanting and cheering in 2013, drowning out the Welsh choir despite City being 0-5 down.
At Wembley in 2016 when despite provocation from the Millwall fans we put our disappointment of the result to one side and tried to show our appreciation.to our defeated heroes. Not one City fan invaded the hallowed turf unlike the Millwall idiots.
In recent years we seem to.have a bunch of fans who dont behave like true Ciyy fans.
Not many, but a few. One of the worst aspects is they show no respect for the fans who were there on that fateful.day in May 1985.
As someone said the 56 are remembered and rightly so.
But there were many there that day tgat witnessed sights, sounds and even.smells that lives with them.to this day.
There have neen many times i have thought we have the best fans.
i even.thought because of May 11th 1985 we had very special.fans.
Tomorrow i hope at the final whistle to be celebrating promotion.
I hope our fans realise the full.implication.of the game. It finally gives our players, fams and club officials, past and present, the opportunity to celebrate 1985 if we win, but also to remember.
Lets have no.pitch invasion.at the final whistle.
Lets stay.in our seats and then everyone can see and celebrate.
Lets be very sprcial fans of a very special.club.
Lets win it tomorrow for the 56, but also for everybody else that was there in 1985.
I want to take the opportunity to pay a tribute to my father-in-law who would have been 90 today. I also want to pay tribute to all the emergency services and the locals who were involved forty years ago. I have supported the burns unit and their fantastic work for forty years. They are tremendous.
Denis Appleyard would have been celebrating like no other tonight. He would have been attending tomorrow with hope in his heart that promotion would be sealed. He can’t. He passed away four years ago. He was my hero. On the 11th May 1985 Denis was at work. Occasionally he would go to City with his pals. There aren’t many of them left RIP. Actually, he was a Leeds devotee with his children. Whilst I was at Valley Parade as a fan that day, after seeing both the Cambridge and Bolton games with my pals, Denis went to work. He was the first white hat, fire brigade officer, on site on the fateful afternoon and he was working late into the night. Several of his friends of many years were in the stand. Denis had a job to do and he did it.
He seldom spoke about the fire but on occasion he would reveal what it was like to crawl on his belly under the intensive burning smoke, barely able to breathe , in spite of his kit, to try save those who perished. He was there after midnight marking out the bodies of the deceased. He found it difficult to distinguish a dead body from a bin liner.
Years later Denis was converted to be a City fan. With my wife, Sarah and our children he followed City home and often away when I took him. Most in C Block new Denis. I never knew if they knew how intensive his relationship with 11th May 1985 was. How he was ever able to go to the last home game of the season, how he attended the memorials, I never could fathom. It is still beyond my comprehension. It is hard enough for myself, being so close in the kop on the day that my hair singed and my face burnt. He knew people who lost their lives that day. He knew so many who were survivors that day but are no longer with us now.
Sure, he had attended many terrible fires over many years but can anyone seriously say they have seen such tragic things. Marking out where a child was wrapped around a turn style in a desperate fight for his life. Burnt to death.
The tag “the 56” is worthy, of course it is, but tomorrow, please recall the endeavours of the emergency services, their incredible roles that day and all those, who still suffer today.
As I say, he was my hero. Win or lose tomorrow, there will be no death. Those who were not there, those who were not alive, would do well to remember that. It will be a terrific occasion whatever happens. We all hope for promotion but there will be huge sadness, a sentimental longing or wistful affection for that day in the past.
God bless you, Denis. Such an incredibly brave man who will forever be remembered and cherished.
CyprusBantam, I too was in the Bradford End that day, just behind the goal with my mates. I can remember seeing the flames moving along the Grandstand towards us & the panic setting in as we all tried to climb that high mesh perimeter fence to get onto the safety of the pitch. I still can’t watch any videos of it though, it’s still too raw. I think it always will be. 40 years on, & it still all seems like yesterday. I too remember them often. The 56 who perished, the hundreds who were burnt, & the many many more who still have scars. I think it’s very hard for younger people to fully realise just how terrifying & traumatic it all was, but I think it’s so important that we still all spare a thought on the last home game of every season.
My wife and I were at the game too. She was 6 months pregnant with our first child so we decided to go in the kop rather than the stand to try get a bit more standing space. We were at the end nearest to where the fire started and soon as the flames began we could feel the heat and feared the worst. We tried to make our way to the exits but it was too crowded. Eventually I climbed the fence helping my wife and a couple of others on to the pitch. It was so hot near to rhe stand we had to move away and couldn’t help anyone else. Today my wife will once again be on the pitch with The Bantams of the Opera and my son (soon to be 40) and his son will be there. What a fitting tribute it would be to all who suffered that day if we could seal promotion today.
Whatever happens today we are in it together