The football world was stunned yesterday as the revelations in the Guardian from Martin Fletcher shed a new light on the fire that claimed the lives of 56 people. The Valley Parade fire is still the worst fire disaster in the history of English football.
In Fletcher's new book, he leads us to question the involvement of Bradford's "mysteriously unlucky" chairman Stafford Heginbotham. He claims to have uncovered evidence that Heginboham was in dire financial trouble at the time and has called for a fresh inquiry.
However the man who led the initial inquiry, has roundly dismissed Fletcher's suggestions.
Sir Oliver Popplewell, the judge who chaired the inquiry into the fire has said claims that it was started deliberately are 'nonsense'.
I'm sorry to say what is obviously a very good story, I'm afraid is nonsense for many reasons. As far as I'm concerned we conducted our inquiries perfectly properly.
Popplewell has said that the initial inquiry, which was conducted just three weeks after the fire, was conducted "perfectly properly" and that Fletcher's suggestions were understandable but incorrect.
