Despite fading in the nation's memory, the impact of the Bradford City Fire will be everlasting for anyone who was there that day. It’s perhaps this reason why many fans have declined to engage in another examination of the evidence.But Mobeen thinks another examination is needed. And there’s one more piece of the incomplete and ugly puzzle. Mobeen speaks to a man who makes an extraordinary claim.We hear again from Sir Oliver Popplewell, the man who ran the inquiry to put the new information back to him. Does he think a fresh look is worthwhile?No matter what the conclusions of any future examination will be, one thing is certain. The fans who lost their lives that day will never be forgotten. If lessons are to be learnt, they simply cannot be forgotten. 900 Degrees is a What's The Story original podcast series. What's The Story are the leaders in premium true-crime podcasts and audio story-telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chapter 7: The Class Thing
Four years after the Bradford City Fire, tragedy struck again. Hillsborough Stadium played host to the semi-final of the 1989 FA Cup. The police failed to manage the entrance to the stadium and an ensuing crush led to the deaths of 97 more football fans.It raises the question, why weren’t those in authority taking the safety of football fans more seriously?The Bradford Fire has long drawn comparisons to Hillsborough. But unlike Hillsborough, it has faded into obscurity. Why? Mobeen discovers it may be down to a reluctance among many to ask difficult questions.But in 2015, Martin Fletcher published a book questioning the official verdict. It looked like those difficult questions would finally get some satisfactory answers.It certainly seemed necessary. So what happened next? 900 Degrees is a What's The Story original podcast series. What's The Story are the leaders in premium true-crime podcasts and audio story-telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chapter 6: A Sinister Theory
There were countless heroes on the 11th of May 1985. Without the selfless actions of fellow fans, police officers and nurses, the death toll would have been even higher.Mobeen hears remarkable testimony detailing the heroics. But as his investigation deepens, he also discovers more evidence that questions the official conclusion of the inquiry.Why did fans report smelling a burning toxic rubber prior to the flames? Was Bradford City and its Chairman in financial trouble going into the new season? Were the doors unlocked that day as opposed to general policy? Was there evidence of foul play?A sinister theory begins to emerge. One that many think is beyond the pale.900 Degrees is a What's The Story original podcast series. What's The Story are the leaders in premium true-crime podcasts and audio story-telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chapter 5: A Dropped Cigarette?
The inquiry which examined the Bradford City Stadium Fire didn't name anybody as being responsible for starting the blaze. But it did find that the fire was started accidentally - likely via a dropped cigarette.But how strong was the evidence? And did the investigation look into any of Stafford Heginbotham's previous fires?Mobeen investigates the testimony from fans who were sitting right where the fire started. And we hear from a fire investigator who has some lingering questions about the inquiry’s conclusions.But in 2015, a retired police detective went on TV and told the watching public that he found the man who admitted dropping the cigarette that started the fire. Case closed? Well - not quite. Mobeen uncovers some startling gaps and counter-claims which question this version of events. And he unpacks a paradox, where not everyone can be telling the truth.900 Degrees is a What's The Story original podcast series. What's The Story are the leaders in premium true-crime podcasts and audio story-telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chapter 4: The Chairman
Bradford City has had a tumultuous history. For decades before the fire in ‘85, the club had lingered in the lower leagues of English football. But they may have ceased to exist at all. For many fans, the fact they are still a club today is down to one man: Stafford Heginbotham.Mobeen goes in search of those who remember the club’s enigmatic chairman. Even to this day, fans still regard him as a hero.But we hear how in fact there may be reasons to question his hero status. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, Heginbotham’s media appearances only added mystery to the tragedy.And Mobeen discovers that the fire at Bradford’s stadium was by no means the chairman’s first. Fire at Heginbotham premises had occurred multiple times, and as it turns out, some thought his history of fires was the joke of the town. 900 Degrees is a What's The Story original podcast series. What's The Story are the leaders in premium true-crime podcasts and audio story-telling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On 11th May 1985, Bradford City FC were playing in the final match of the season. It was a day of celebration that saw 11,076 supporters at Bradford’s ground, Valley Parade, to see the club collect its first trophy for 56 years. But minutes before half time, smoke began rising from one of the stands. And within four minutes a fire engulfed one side of the ground, reaching a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius. 56 men, women and children were killed and 265 were injured. It was one of the most deadly fires in British history. And an inquiry found it had all started because of a dropped cigarette - a tragic accident. But to some, there is an alternative ending. They believe that the fire was no accident. That the facts are more sinister, that the fire has links to organised crime, a cover up and even the British government. Now, British journalist, presenter and filmmaker Mobeen Azhar embarks on a journey to find out what really happened that day. In this compelling eight-part series created by What’s The Story Sounds, Mobeen goes back to his place of birth in West Yorkshire to speak to survivors of the Bradford City Fire, to police officers, to witnesses and to those involved in the inquiry. And he uncovers a remarkable new claim which forces him to question everything he thought he knew about the incident. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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