Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire (12A)

A special preview screening and Q&A of this new BBC documentary, hosted by Creative Cities Convention.

When Bradford City met Lincoln City on May 11 1985 for the final game of the season, what everyone remembers most fondly is the carnival atmosphere. Not long before, Bradford had been teetering on the edge of financial ruin. But now, after one of their best seasons ever, their spot at the top of the league was secure and promotion was in the bag.

But what happened at the end of a goal-less first half was the stuff of nightmares. A fire, believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette or match, engulfed one of the old wooden stands and 56 lives were lost in one of the worst disasters in footballing history.

And then, over the next four decades, the story of one of the world’s biggest ever sporting disasters faded quietly away.

Now, on the 40th anniversary of the event this May, that story will be remembered and its victims and survivors commemorated in a new documentary for BBC Two and iPlayer. A powerful record of a forgotten tragedy, as told through the compelling personal testimony of those who were there, many of whom speak here for the first time.

Combining extraordinary access to the people who survived, family members of the bereaved and emergency service first responders, Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire is not just a film about a tragedy—it is also a celebration of community, resilience and collective memory, exploring the extraordinary strength of human spirit and bravery through those who experienced it and those who were called upon to deal with the aftermath.

The screening (90 minutes) will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, and introduced by Jaimie D’Cruz, Executive Producer, acme TV.

About the panellists:

Director, Andy R. Worboys: Andy hails from Doncaster and is a double BAFTA winner with 26 years working in the TV industry. Highlights include Hillsborough , Tell Me Who I Am and, most recently, Sam Mendes’ debut documentary What They Found.
Producer, George Grafton: George Grafton is a producer based in Leeds, who has worked on high-profile documentaries including the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Leaving Neverland and Sam Mendes’ first documentary What They Found.

Commissioning Editor for the BBC, Anna Dickeson: Anna is a Leeds-based BBC Documentaries commissioning editor looking after a range of titles such as Ambulance, Paranormal, Saving Lives in Cardiff, and Steve Thompson: Rugby, Dementia and Me as well as commissioning upcoming series and singles.

Matthew Wildman: Matthew Wildman was a 17-year-old boy when he found himself fleeing the inferno at Bradford City’s football stadium. He was the last surviving member of the public to escape the blaze and was badly burnt in the incident. He has spent much of his life raising awareness and money for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit in Bradford, following the groundbreaking treatments he received.

Photo credit: Steve Smith

This screening is part of Bradford: A City of Film, a programme of independent film across the Bradford District. Co-Produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and National Science and Media Museum with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.