The football community has come together to pay their condolences 37 years after the Bradford fire catastrophe, which killed 56 football fans.
Chris Kamara, a former Bradford City player, led tributes for the 56 football fans who died in the Bradford fire catastrophe 37 years ago on May 11.
The Bradford City stadium fire happened on Saturday, May 11, 1985, during a Football League Third Division match between Bradford City and Lincoln City at the Valley Parade stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, killing 56 spectators and wounding at least 265.
The 64-year-old, who recently announced that he had ‘Apraxia of Speech,’ wrote on Twitter: “Today we remember the 56 football fans who tragically lost their lives in the Bradford fire disaster 37 years ago. 54 Bradford City fans & 2 Lincoln City fans went to watch a football match! Gone but never forgotten #RIP56″.
Bradford City tweeted: “The 56 lives we lost in the Valley Parade Fire Disaster 37 years ago today will be forever remembered.”
Football fans also paid tribute, with one person writing: “Today we remember the 56 fans that tragically lost their life in the Bradford City fire disaster, on this day in 1985. Nobody should ever go to a football match and not return home.”
“Today marks the 37th anniversary of the Bradford disaster when, on 11th May 1985, 54 Bradford City fans and 2 Lincoln City fans lost their lives in the fire that consumed the Valley Parade main stand in a matter of minutes. RIP the 56. You’ll never be forgotten,” another person wrote.
The Bradford Bulls rugby league team wrote: “On the 11th May 1985, 54 Bradford City supporters and 2 Lincoln City supporters tragically lost their lives in the disaster – with hundreds more injured.
“Chairman Nigel Wood and Chief Executive Jason Hirst will today attend a Memorial Service at the Bradford City Fire Memorial Sculpture in Centenary Square – which takes place from 11am to mark the 37th anniversary.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bradford City Football Club and all those affected by the tragic events that unfolded.”
