Stafford Heginbotham ( 12 September 1933 – 21 April 1995 ) was a British businessman and chairman of Bradford City football club at the time of 56 deaths in the Bradford City stadium fire , which occurred immediately after the club won league promotion that mandated a costly upgrading of spectator facilities . A 2015 book revealed the extent of Heginbotham 's fire insurance claims before the disaster , which had led to him being the subject of local innuendo about arson . In the light of the book 's revelations the head of a 1985 public inquiry into the disaster maintained there was still no reason to think there had been anything sinister about the stadium fire , although he acknowledged it was cause for suspicion that Heginbotham had been a serial insurance claimant . In the mid 1950s he worked as a salesman for a soft furnishings company , and by the age of 24 he was regarded as the firm 's best salesman . Heginbotham married Lorna Silverwood and had two sons , James and Simon , who still reside in West Yorkshire . Heginbotham created the " Stafford Heginbotham Castle Trophy Highest Aggregate Wickets " in the Bradford Cricket League . The trophy is still running to this date
Bradford City stadium fire
Bradford City stadium fire
Stafford Heginbotham