Description
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD''Read his book and weep'' - The Times''Incredibly moving and brilliantly understated lays bare the culture of institutionalised neglect that all English football-goers in the 80s came to expect, which by the end of the decade would claim more than 150 lives'' - MirrorOn May 11 1985, fifty-six people died in a devastating fire at Bradford City's old Valley Parade ground. It was truly horrific, a startling story and wholly avoidable but it had only the briefest of inquiries, and it seemed its lessons were not learned.Twelve-year-old Martin Fletcher was at Valley Parade that day, celebrating Bradford's promotion to the second flight, with his dad, brother, uncle and grandfather. Martin was the only one of them to survive the fire the biggest loss suffered by a single family in any British football disaster.In later years, Martin devoted himself to extensively investiga
Trade ReviewSome have tainted him as a laptop vigilante, but really, they should read his book and weep * The Times *
A heart-wrenching read * FourFourTwo *
Incredibly moving and brilliantly understated… lays bare the culture of institutionalised neglect that all English football-goers in the 80s came to expect, which by the end of the decade would claim more than 150 lives * Daily Mirror *
Heart-rending before it is controversial * The Times *
A compelling memoir * The Guardian *
Table of ContentsPrologue PART ONE 1 The Fletchers 2 Football 3 1984-85 - Our Final Season 4 11 May 1985 5 Survivor 6 Mourner 7 'Moving on'
PART TWO 8 Rebuilt 9 Reclaimed/Central failure 10 Reclaimed/Local failure 11 The Popplewell Inquiry 12 City Till... 13 Locked Doors 14 'I have just been unlucky' 15 The Popplewell Inquiry Revisited 16 Fletcher 56
Acknowledgements Author's Note
