Bradford Fire: 25 Years On

The days following the fire were unremarkable. Work, school and life went on with the fire something which had happened to others: to those who had died, their relatives and loved ones, to the many who were terribly burnt and undergoing treatment at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Pinderfields in Wakefield.

An inquiry chaired by Sir Oliver Popplewell investigated the fire and concluded, not surprisingly, that wooden stands would no longer be legal.

He also found, more controversially, that the fire was a piece of misfortune. Despite evidence the club had been warned of the danger inherent in the stand with the build-up of rubbish in the gap under the seats, no one was to blame.

One letter from a council official had said: "A carelessly discarded cigarette could give rise to a fire risk." Prophetic words.

There will be the annual memorial service at City Hall tomorrow and the bells will peal Abide with Me and You'll Never Walk Alone but we will not be there.

That is for people who suffered in the Bradford City fire, not for those of us who do not have the scars of surgery, memories of lost friends and relatives or endless nightmares.

We were and remain the lucky ones.

BBC presenter Gabby Logan, daughter of then-City assistant manager Terry Yorath, was 12 on the day and was in the players lounge when news of the fire was first announced. She wrote an account of her day on the BBC website.

My father, who had been on the pitch, was quickly moved to safety along with the players.

He went to the players' lounge and found it empty, but in another bar found people still drinking without knowing what was happening.

He managed to get everyone there out, but by then couldn't get out through the door, so he jumped from a 20ft-high window.

Trying to find his parents and our other family members, he went round to the main stand and saw fans trying desperately, in vain, to get out on to the street. They were trapped because the exit gates and turnstiles were locked.

It was a couple of hours before I saw my father.

Afterwards the Bradford Disaster Appeal fund raised 3.5m and a special version of the Gerry and the Pacemakers' 1960s hit You'll Never Walk Alone was released.

I can remember being at a Bradford City fundraiser not long afterwards, when this song was played. Everyone held hands, and all the adults – the players, wives and club officials were in tears, singing that song.

A quarter of a century on and the fire still affects people. I know my father still carries the mental scars.

What should have been a peak time in his early managerial career was just a terrible time of tears, anger and great sadness for our family.

People have the right to go to a stadium and come home safely.

We must never forget the fans who set off that day – intending to watch a game of football, cheer on their team, celebrate their success – who never went home.

Matthew Wildman, a 17-year-old fan, suffered from arthritis and needed crutches to walk. He explains how he got out.

There was a big crush of people and I couldn't reach my crutches, so they were thrown to me, but then we found the back doors were still locked.

I was popped to the floor like a pea and had lots of people standing on me and kicking me in the head, but that was not a bad thing as everybody stood up was choking on the smoke.

I was shouting at people that I was down on the floor, but I didn't panic – I was more angry that people were not looking out for each other.

Then somebody fell over me, realised I couldn't move, and dragged me out into the stand.

When I reached the front of the stand, I faced an eight-foot drop onto the concrete floor.

That was the only time I really started to panic.

I looked down at my hands and they were bubbling like melting cheese, so I thought, it's all or nothing. I dived over the wall and was about to smash into the terrace when I was caught by David Hustler.

I was really badly burned from head to foot and put on a stretcher to be taken to the waiting ambulances.