
"In later years, Martin devoted himself to extensively investigating how the disaster was caused, its culture of institutional neglect and the government's general indifference towards football fans' safety at the time. "Martin was the only one of them to survive the fire – the biggest loss suffered by a single family in any British football disaster. The description continues: "Twelve-year-old Martin Fletcher was at Valley Parade that day, celebrating Bradford's promotion to the second flight, with his dad, brother, uncle and grandfather. The film ends with wide shots of a game occurring at Odsal stadium that are very reminiscent of the shots that were used at the start of the film.Destructive Blaze: The then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the ground after the blaze (Image: Mirrorpix) The camera remains in close-up as he pays tribute to the community work done by the players after the fire and the important part that the stadium’s new stand plays in the overall legacy and remembrance of the disaster. In the closing stages of the film, Bradford City’s manager, Terry Yorath, is interviewed inside the stadium. Heginbotham addresses the blame and threats levelled at him in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Towards the end of the film, Bradford City Chairman, Stafford Heginbotham, gives an interview from the stadium. His father suffered significant burns during the fire and had to recuperate in hospital. Stuart McCall was playing for Bradford during the match and was able to find his entire family safe after the fire except for his father. The interviewer then begins a discussion with an assessment planner who set up an assessment committee to determine compensation for the victims.Ī father and son are the next interviewees in the film. He informs the camera that he made it his mission to provide emotional support and counselling to the victims as soon as was possible. The film then moves onto an interview in the centre of Bradford with a man in City Hall. Matthew Wildman suffered with severe arthritis before the fire now also has to cope with significant burns to his body.Ī doctor who was instrumental in treating the burn victims then pays tribute to the medical staff that willingly gave all of their time and energy to treat the injured after the fire. The film then moves onto another interview with a victim of the fire.
#Bradford city stadium fire man series#
In a series of close-up shots, the officer claims that he has blamed himself for the dreadful events and suffers recurring nightmares of the match. This is followed by an interview with a police officer who was present at the game when the fire broke out. Nicola Firth tells the interviewer that she lost her mother in the fire, an event which brought her closer to her father Duncan. The camera moves inside a family home for a further interview with a father and daughter who were present at Valley Parade when the fire occurred. In the changing rooms, the golfer reflects on his father’s death that came as a result of injuries obtained during the fire.

Miles Bamford used to be a talented golfer and is determined to get back to his former level despite the serious burns that cover his body. Shortly after this scene, the film transitions to a golf course where there are shots of a victim golfing. The nurses reveal the devastation that they encountered and pay tribute to the courage of their colleagues and the patients.

Then there is an interview with nurses who looked after the victims of the fire shortly after the event. Surprisingly, the victims still manage to find the positives behind the horrors of the event. There are a number of shots showing their burn scars.
#Bradford city stadium fire man full#
The camera then moves onto a room full of elderly victims of the fire who are interviewed on their experiences. This is followed by Helm speaking to the camera about the harrowing experience. Over the top of these image, the commentator from the game when the fire broke out, John Helm, can be heard reporting that a fire could be seen breaking out in one of the stands. Then there are a number of other shots of the ground in the present day. The camera then films a series of close-ups of the enthusiastic Bradford fans watching the game. The film begins with a wide shot of Bradford City playing at Odsal stadium. The vast majority of the programme consists of interviews with victims of the fire and officials that were present at the game. On the anniversary of the fatal fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade football ground, which killed 56 people, this programme looks at how those involved are coping, one year on.
