I woke up too late to go, and I am grateful for that. I had been out in Sheffield the night before and woke up with a head that was even thicker than it normally was. After a suitably long lie-in and a hot dog for lunch, I meandered off to Hillsborough to watch the First Division game between Wednesday and West Ham, which proved to be a typical end-of-season affair.

News of the fire began to reach transistor radios during half-time. No one realised how serious it was at that moment, although everyone knew within hours as John Helm's magnificent commentary spread across the world. I have often considered how tragic it was that I heard of the disaster at the very ground that was to witness its own horrors less than four years later. Fifty-six people went to a football match that day and never returned, a result I still cannot comprehend almost forty years later.

Besides generating a tidal wave of legislation and stadium redevelopment, the Bradford fire also led to the creation of the Bradford Burns Unit. Founder David Sharpe was a young doctor on duty at Bradford Royal Infirmary on 11 May 1985 and treated many of the victims personally. The unit today forms part of the University of Bradford and continues to carry out vital research in memory of those who never returned.

The tragedy also created a bond between two football clubs unlike any other, and between the two cities. For that reason, Vital Lincoln City has always been a keen supporter of the Bradford Burns Unit and has regularly raised funds to continue its work.

Our latest campaign is under way with a target of £1,000. If you have as little as a pound or two to spare, it will be gratefully received by a special facility that remains close to our hearts.

Writer: Scotimp