Show Notes
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.
More from 900 Degrees
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.
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.
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.
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 goes to meet a fan who has some lingering questions about the true nature of the Bradford City Fire.