The East Stand

[Jam_Man]

Health and Safety is there to protect people, no matter how they behave.

Have to say the East Blacks is always a nightmare to get out of as there is only one exit right up one end. In an emergency there would be zero chance of getting out that way.

Just have to hope you are able to go towards the pitch, Im sure the stand would clear pretty quickly in that direction.

 

[Fred]

Health and Safety may wish to check Ron's stash of hairspray :flamer:

 

[AndyT]

The East Stand is quite wooden, although we do sometimes try and join in with the singing :blush:

Quality!:smile:

 

[AndyT]

The exits out of the East Bank from the back are awful and worse if you are in the boxes at the top, I would say and the corridors and stairwells are very narrow, but as someone said earlier, the exit onto the pitch is a lot quicker than it was in the old days, when there was the drop down into the terraced paddock areas.

 

[Cockle43]

It would appear, from a book recently published, that Bradford also had a chairman who had a very unfortunate record with fires destroying his business premises when the going got tough; I believe the Valley Parade fire got him pretty close to double figures.....

The circumstances behind the Valley Parade fire were very suspicious to say the least and the inquiry into it was held very quickly, so quickly that many giving evidence were under the impression that it was a preliminary inquiry and that a fuller and more exhaustive one would be held at a later date. It never happened.

From the Guardian, earlier this week:- http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/22/bradford-city-fire-expert-new-investigation

( Martin ) Fletcher’s book, 56 – The Story of the Bradford Fire, is the culmination of a 15-year investigation into the tragedy, leading the author to sacrifice his career as a tax accountant in pursuit of the truth. His evidence uncovered there had been at least eight major fires at other business premises either owned by or connected to the club’s chairman at the time, Stafford Heginbotham. Fletcher has asked why this was not investigated and Popplewell has admitted he had not known about these details when he chaired the inquiry.

Whole article makes an interesting read.....

Unfortunately, reading reports like this, and with the recent revelations about the Hillsborough inquiry and the falsification of the evidence given by the authorities which basically whitewashed themselves, gives a pretty good indication of the establishment attitude towards football supporters at the time. An attitude which still pervades amongst certain quarters still to this day that a person who puts on a replica shirt or goes to a football match then immediately ceases to become a 'normal' member of society and becomes a 'problem' to be managed in a draconian manner, regardless of his/her behaviour or history.

 

[AndyT]

Not sure if you know and just in case you might want to see a few thoughts, there's a thread on this in the 'General Football Forum'.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Can't see a problem at RH. Bradford happened because large gaps in the wooden planking allowed a build up of rubbish to accumulate over many years. This was ignited by a carelessly discarded match or cigarette. The stand had been condemmed and was hosting it's last match before being demolished and rebuilt. There are no gaps in the planking at RH and the only rubbish, dependent on who we play, is on the pitch.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Am reading the recently published book '56', the story of the Bradford fire. A truely horrific event and re-watching the news reels on it on Youtube is a heart-rending experience.

That old Bradford stand was a relic from the past and was hosting its last match that day in 1985. Now, I am sure our own wooden East Stand has been through every modern safety check going and is readily tested, and the access ways (although they could be better) are much easier to navigate than that old stand at Valley Parade, but the Bradford disaster just makes me think a bit about how vunerable it actually is. With 'Fantasy Fossets' pending I suspect we are not improving it.

I will be in the East Stand on Saturday and do not fear there being 'another Bradford', but just wonder what others think?

Remind me never to go out for a beer with you, don't think I could handle your glass half empty outlook on life :zzzzz: