Bradford City fans' memories wanted for VR project

Fans' stories will be revealed during the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations

Bradford City fans are being invited to share their memories of the club to feature in a virtual reality (VR) project.

Academics from the city's university are creating a digital copy of the club's stadium Valley Parade.

Fans' stories will be brought to life in different places of the stadium which people can then explore and view through VR.

Chris Gaffney, Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Bradford, said the memories would "provide us with a treasure trove of information on what the club means to them".

People are being asked to share memories such as their first Bantams match, most memorable game, how they started supporting the club, where they sit in the stadium and what it means to be a supporter.

The online survey also includes questions on how people and communities supported each other following the fire at the stadium in 1985 which killed 56 people and injured 258 others.

People had been watching Bradford City play Lincoln City in their last home match of the season when fire broke out in the stands on 11 May 1985

Stories from Valley Parade is one of two projects the University of Bradford is running to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Bradford City Fire.

The university’s Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) is also producing a book on the positive contributions their research has made to burns patients around the world.

Mr Gaffney said: “We would love Bradford City fans to share their memories of supporting their team over the years for this exciting project.

“It is a mixture of the old and the new, as we use VR to showcase memories of the club from over the decades."

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