Bradford fire: astonishing new evidence

[Strontium]

Amazing new revelations here.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher

 

Revealed: former Bradford chairman linked to at least eight fires before Valley Parade disaster

• Book reveals extraordinary history of Stafford Heginbotham’s businesses

• New evidence emerges 30 years after blaze that killed 56 football fans

 

The blaze that killed 56 football fans at Bradford City’s Valley Parade ground in 1985 was just one of at least nine fires at businesses owned by or associated with the club’s then chairman, according to extraordinary evidence published for the first time.

 

The revelations are contained in a book written by Martin Fletcher, a Bradford fan who lost three generations of his family in the stadium fire. Fletcher believes the fire was not an accident and says he and his family are no longer willing to “live the myth”.

 

Fletcher managed to escape after the timber main stand at Valley Parade turned into a death trap during Bradford’s game against Lincoln City on 11 May 1985. His brother, Andrew, 11, was the youngest victim and his father John, 34, uncle Peter, 32, and grandfather Eddie, 63, all perished. Martin Fletcher, who was 12 at the time, has spent the past 15 years investigating what happened and his book, Fifty-Six – The Story of the Bradford Fire, is published on Thursday 16 April.

 

The book, serialised by the Guardian today and tomorrow, reveals there had been at least eight other fires at business premises either owned by, or connected to, Stafford Heginbotham, Bradford’s then-chairman, in the previous 18 years, resulting in huge insurance claims. Fletcher does not make any direct allegations but he does believe Heginbotham’s history with fires, resulting in payouts of around £27m in today’s terms, warranted further investigation. “Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?” he asks.

 

The disaster at Valley Parade came at a time, according to Fletcher’s evidence, when the businessman was in desperate financial trouble, unable to pay his workforce beyond that month. Heginbotham had learned two days before the fire it would cost £2m to bring the ground up to safety standards required by Bradford’s promotion from the old Third Division that season. Yet this has never been reported and did not feature in the Popplewell Inquiry, chaired by the then high court judge Oliver Popplewell, which held its investigation only three weeks after the fire.

 

The inquiry heard only five days of testimony and concluded the fire was probably started by a match, a cigarette or pipe tobacco slipping through gaps in the floorboards on to litter that had built up over the previous 20 years. Fletcher does not accept that version and quotes a report by the Fire Research Station, a government-funded body, that “features of the Bradford fire required a detail of understanding greater than that presented to the formal inquiry”.

 

Fletcher’s evidence was collected through months of painstaking research into Heginbotham’s business history and by trawling 20 years of local newspaper reports into fires in the Bradford area.

 

The pattern began with a fire at a three-storey Bradford factory in May 1967 and continued on Good Friday 1968 with another fire at the premises of Genefoam, of which Heginbotham was the managing director. A firm Heginbotham had founded suffered a serious fire in 1970 before the Castle Mills building, owned by Heginbotham, had a fire in 1971. Further blazes followed at the Douglas Mills building, also owned by Heginbotham, in August and November 1977. In December that year there was a fire at the premises of Coronet Marketing, a subsidiary of Heginbotham’s Tebro Toys. A further fire at the Douglas Mills building occurred in June 1981.

 

 

1) May 1967: fire in Stafford Heginbotham’s factory at three-storey Cutler Heights Lane, Bradford

2) April 1968: fire at Genefoam Ltd, managing director Stafford Heginbotham, Cutler Heights Lane

3) August 1970: store-room explosion at Matgoods, founded by Heginbotham, in Wyke, Bradford

4) December 1971: tenant fire at Castle Mills building, Cleckheaton, owned by Heginbotham

5) August 1977: fire at Yorkshire Knitting Mills, in Heginbotham-owned Douglas Mills building, Bradford

6) December 1977: fire at four-story Coronet Marketing factory, Leeds Road, Bradford. Coronet Marketing a subsidiary of Tebro Toys, owned by Heginbotham

7) November 1977: fire with toxic fumes at Douglas Mills factory

8) June 1981: fire in plastics factory at Heginbotham-owned Douglas Mills

 

Heginbotham died in 1995, aged 61, and was never prosecuted for the Valley Parade fire, despite the coroner later saying he had given serious consideration to bringing a charge of manslaughter. Bradford City had received three separate warnings about the potential fire risk, two from the Health and Safety Executive and another from the council, but did nothing. Fletcher’s book reveals how Heginbotham initially denied seeing the council’s letter before repeatedly changing his story when it became clear this was not true. The author has told the Guardian it was a “litany of lies”.

 

Of Heginbotham’s history with fires, Fletcher writes: “To quote a Los Angeles Police Department fire investigator in Blaze, the Forensics of Fire by Nicholas Faith: ‘It’s rare to have a coincidence. If we start having multiple coincidences then it’s not a coincidence.’ It is clear to me that at Bradford, with Stafford Heginbotham in charge, there was a mountain of coincidence.”

 

Once dubbed “the bravest boy in Britain”, Fletcher is the only survivor to publicly challenge the official inquiry, describing it as wholly inadequate and saying it took place far too close to the event. His family expected a fuller investigation to follow and he says his determination to find out “the truth” stems initially from a conversation with his mother, Susan, when he was 21.

 

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“I never believed it was an accident and I never will,” she told him. “I don’t think Stafford intended for people to die. But people did. All because he went back to the one thing he knew best that would get him out of trouble.”

 

When Susan Fletcher brought a civil case against the club and West Yorkshire county council, meaning 110 bereaved or injured people would have their compensation claims met, she received a series of anonymous late-night telephone calls, including death threats against Martin, then 14, and the warning “nobody beats Bradford City”. The grieving mother and son temporarily had to move out of their house to live in a hotel. Martin was taken out of school until it was considered safe to return.

 

Fletcher’s book is released on 16 April, nine days before a minute’s silence is held at every Premier League and Football League match to mark the forthcoming 30th anniversary.

 

“I’m not living a lie any more,” Fletcher said. “I’m not living someone else’s half-truth. I’m not living the myth. Bradford City on the day of the fire were sponsored by the council and across the shirt the slogan was ‘Bradford myth-breakers’. Well, there are a lot of myths that need to be broken.”

[Bjornebye]

Would he not burn it after everyone had left the ground?

 

Big allegation.

 

Tragic tragic event. Watched on youtube, unreal how quick that stand went up. RIP

[magicrat]

Would he not burn it after everyone had left the ground?

 

Big allegation.

 

Tragic tragic event. Watched on youtube, unreal how quick that stand went up. RIP

My thoughts entirely

This Fletcher fella better have his facts right because if he is peddling books on the back of some conspiracy theory that will upset hundred of relatives of the dead then I hope he burns too, 

[Boss]

I'll never forget the image of the man walking onto the field in flames whilst the bobbies where trying to beat the flames off him with their coats. A truly horrific sight and a real tragedy for all those involved, Bradford and Lincoln. 

[Trumo]

Evidence? It's more an assumption than anything else, based on the fact that so many of the chairman's other businesses suffered fire damage over a number of years resulting in insurance payouts. Of course that's going to seem more than a bit dodgy.

 

The club and the council were negligent in ensuring that the build-up of litter underneath the stand was cleared even though both were aware that the litter presented a fire hazard to the wooden stand. There were gaps that allowed the litter to accumulate the way it did, and that litter included discarded cigarette butts which is how it's believed the fire started in the first place.

 

I have seen the Youtube video and it is horrific, not least because the fans had no means of escape and also because of the way the fire spread so quickly as if the stand was coated in a flammable material.

[Funkasy]

Would he not burn it after everyone had left the ground?

 

Big allegation.

 

Tragic tragic event. Watched on youtube, unreal how quick that stand went up. RIP

Cant blame a cigaret when the stadium is empty.

[xerxes]

Even if you accept questions regarding previous fires, this allegation is far fetched at best, and grotesque profiteering at worst.

 

If you want a stand to burn down, best done by way of an "electrical fault" in the small hours, than when there are thousands around who are far more likely to ensure it is prematurely extinguished.

[Harry Squatter]

How was litter able to accumulate under a stand for 20 years?. How did they manage to get a safety certificate. It would have fucking stunk like a sewer.

[Strontium]

Even if you accept questions regarding previous fires, this allegation is far fetched at best, and grotesque profiteering at worst.

 

Really xerxes? The guy lost his father, brother, uncle and grandfather in the fire. Accusing him of profiteering is what is grotesque.

 

If you bother to read the article, you'll see that Martin Fletcher has made no allegation, merely raised a possibility, and a highly credible possibility at that, given the sheer level of coincidence at work.

[Tony Moanero]

Well in, Strontium Dog.

[Stickman]

How was litter able to accumulate under a stand for 20 years?. How did they manage to get a safety certificate. It would have fucking stunk like a sewer.

Wasn't the Kings Cross fire similar in that litter was allowed to build up as well? It's shocking that places where the public gathered were allowed to fall into such an appalling condition that resulted in tragedies like this.

[RobbieOR]

Really xerxes? The guy lost his father, brother, uncle and grandfather in the fire. Accusing him of profiteering is what is grotesque.

 

If you bother to read the article, you'll see that Martin Fletcher has made no allegation, merely raised a possibility, and a highly credible possibility at that, given the sheer level of coincidence at work.

 

Spot on. 

[Harry Squatter]

Wasn't the Kings Cross fire similar in that litter was allowed to build up as well? It's shocking that places where the public gathered were allowed to fall into such an appalling condition that resulted in tragedies like this.

I think so yeah, plus a lot of the base of the escalators had wooden panels that hadnt been replaced since the turn of the century. The fact that people were even allowed to smoke in these places too was unbelievable.

[Curly]

Wow! Big, big insinuation there. We don't need reminding of the absolute shite peddled in the press to take it with a pinch of salt, but I really hope that isn't true. Heartbreaking either way.

[JohnnyH]

Awful disaster. And after years of having to deal with the loss of family members or deal with horroric injuries, now there is the possibilty that the fire was planned. Almost impossible to comprehend.

[Ne Moe Imya]

I would think if any group of fans were willing to take another look at the Bradford City fire with an open mind towards new evidence, it will be LFC fans.

 

I hope that, either way, they can settle this once and for all.  For the sakes of the families of the victims, they deserve to know the truth.  

[AngryOfTuebrook]

My thoughts entirely

This Fletcher fella better have his facts right because if he is peddling books on the back of some conspiracy theory that will upset hundred of relatives of the dead then I hope he burns too, 

Absolute cunt of a comment.  No fucking excuse.

[FanchesterCity]

Fires are common place and were more so years ago.

Much depends on how many business he actually had and the scale of the fires.

It could be like saying Hertz have been involved in 30 car accidents this month.... coincidence? no, it's a 30,000 car fleet.

[Coro]

Why don't people actually read the article before commenting on it?

[G Richards]

The Bradford fire was the most shocking thing I remember seeing on the telly from my youth. That old fella with the mac on, completely engulfed in flames, will live with me until the day I die. 

 

Thanks for sharing this Stronts. Even though it all sounds plausible, I sincerely hope it is untrue, as it is too awful to comprehend. However, our own tragic experience with Hillsborough serves as evidence that the truth will out. Eventually. 

[Anubis]

At the moment the evidence appears, on the face of the article, to be circumstantial. But given the frequency with which Heginbotham's properties were going up in flames, and the money needed to upgrade the ground, it's astonishing that the police never took a very close look at him. 

 

I think the lad's book will be worth a read. And Xeres, come on mate. Three generations of his family.

[Coro]

Someone's actually repped Sexrex's post.

 

Wibble. I'm done.

[Coro]

Before some other lunatic makes a daft remark about profiteering etc. let's remember Martin Fletcher's support for the Hillsborough campaign

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/oct/20/bradford-disaster-attacks-judge-hillsborough

 

Bradford fire survivor attacks judge over Hillsborough comments

• Criticism of Hillsborough families branded 'disgraceful'
• Retired judge had suggested that they should move on

[skend04]

http://news.sky.com/story/1465808/police-will-consider-bradford-city-fire-claims

[AngryOfTuebrook]

 

Before some other lunatic makes a daft remark about profiteering etc. let's remember Martin Fletcher's support for the Hillsborough campaign

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/oct/20/bradford-disaster-attacks-judge-hillsborough

 

Bradford fire survivor attacks judge over Hillsborough comments

• Criticism of Hillsborough families branded 'disgraceful'

• Retired judge had suggested that they should move on

 

The more I read about him, the more convinced I am that Popplewell is a cunt.