Page 139 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

The judge said that alcohol was a substantial contributor to the violence and
that trouble could have been avoided if police had cleared Leeds fans from
a refreshment area.

Birmingham City FC was £5,000 by the Football Association for failing to take
adequate measures to prevent crowd trouble. Leeds United were told that
the next season’s away games had to be ticket-only for named fans.

One of Sir Oliver’s recommendations was that CCTV be introduced in a
dedicated area of the ground, with experienced police officers in charge to
identify and arrest troublemakers immediately. This happened and is now the
norm at grounds.

Authors Note – By PC 8777 Bennett - A Police Officer at the game

SATURDAY May 11 , 1985 is a day sadly remembered in football history as the
th
day of the Bradford City tragedy where fifty-six people died, and more than
250 others were injured in one of the biggest disasters at a British football
ground.

Bradford City were supposed to be celebrating on 11 May 1985. The team
was presented with the Division Three championship trophy - their first trophy
in 56 years - in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their match
against Lincoln City. Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. The
main stand at Valley Parade burned down after what was thought to be a
dropped cigarette led to flames which engulfed the entire wooden structure.
Even as this tragic disaster was unfolding, another tragedy was taking place
elsewhere.

I recall hearing reports of the Bradford fire whilst I was on duty at St Andrew’s,
where Birmingham City were playing Leeds United in the last game of the
season.
Birmingham had already won promotion to Division One for the following
season, which in those days was the top league of English football.

Leeds United, the visitors, had a chance of promotion too, but this match was
a ‘must win’ for them combined with other results in the league going their
way too.
It should have been a day for both sets of fans to be focused on the football,
and for the Birmingham ‘Blues’ fans it should be a day of celebration.

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