Valley Parade
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| Bradford & Bingley Stadium | |
| Full name | Valley Parade |
| Nickname | The Parade, Paradise |
| Built | 1903 |
| Opened | 1903 |
| Capacity | 25,136 |
| Home of | Bradford City A.F.C. |
| Pitch size | 113 x 70 yards |
Valley Parade, currently known under a naming-rights contract as Intersonic Stadium (previously Bradford & Bingley Stadium), is the home stadium of Bradford City football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
The club does not itself own Valley Parade and in 2005 narrowly escaped being forced to move [1]. It is not to be confused with The Valley, where Charlton Athletic play.
It has a current seating capacity of 25,136.
It is divided, as are many English football grounds, into four stands, in this case known as the Carlsberg Stand, Sunwin Stand, TL Dallas Stand (Always used as an away stand although called The Bradford End by supporters old enough to remember when it was used for home supporters. It is the closest stand to the city centre), and Yorkshire First Stand... in some cases also the subject of naming-rights contracts with sponsors. The Carlsberg Stand was traditionally the Kop End and the Yorkshire First Stand the Midland Road Stand.
[edit] Valley Parade Fire
On May 11, 1985, a crowd of over 11,000 were celebrating Bradford City winning the Football League Third Division championship, equivalent to the post-2004 Football League One, and watching the final game of the season, against Lincoln City F.C. The trophy was presented before the game, and they were looking forward to the next season when they would be playing in their highest level in the English football league system since 1937.
Shortly before half-time, a fire broke out in the space beneath the seating in the 80-year-old wooden Sunwin Stand, believed to have been caused by a dropped cigarette igniting an accumultation of litter. The fire spread very rapidly, quickly engulfing the entire structure of the stand in flames and dense smoke, and causing a mass panic.
Ultimately, the fire killed 56 spectators ranging from small children to the 86-year-old former chairman of the club. The few existing narrow escape routes in some cases led to locked doors, and the only escape for most spectators was directly onto the field. The match was duly abandoned and was never replayed.
It was an something of an irony that the old wooden roof to the stand was actually due to be replaced the very next day, as it did not meet the safety regulations required for the Division the team would be playing in the following season.
This disaster is marked by annual remembrance ceremonies on the anniversary, and an annual Easter-weekend youth tournament drawing teams from across Europe as well as from Bradford and Lincoln.
The disaster also proved to be the catalyst for the movement towards greater public safety in British sports venues, which intensified still further after the Hillsborough disaster a few years later. The dead are also remembered by a plaque at today's rebuilt Sunwin Stand.
Following the fire, the stadium did not reopen again until December 14, 1986 and is now rebuilt to far more stringent safety standards than before.
Bradford's twin city, the German town of Hamm, donated a memorial with all the names the victims, cast in relief on it, soon after the disaster.
[edit] Rugby League
The stadium was briefly shared with Bradford's biggest Rugby League club, Bradford Bulls during the 2001 and 2002 Super League (Europe) seasons. This was due to the proposed development of the Bulls' home ground Grattan Stadium (formerly known as Odsal Stadium), however a full re-development never took place and instead only minor changes were made to the stadium in the south of the city. However, whilst playing at Valley Parade the Bulls won the 2001 Super League Title and the 2002 World Club Challenge Title.
[edit] External links
| Football League One venues, 2006-2007 |
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| Alexandra Stadium | Ashton Gate | Bloomfield Road | Boundary Park Brunton Park | City Ground | Fitness First Stadium | Galpharm Stadium Glanford Park | Griffin Park | Huish Park | Keepmoat Stadium Liberty Stadium | Matchroom Stadium | Millmoor | New Den Stadium Prenton Park | Priestfield Stadium | Recreation Ground | Sixfields Stadium Vale Park | Valley Parade | Whaddon Road | Withdean Stadium |
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