Walter Smith has recounted his vivid memories of the Ibrox disaster ahead of its 40th anniversary on Sunday when Rangers host Celtic.. Scotland's love affair with football has been tempered with tragedy
The words 'ibrox' and 'disaster' have all too often been synonymous, most recently in 1971 when 66 died after a stairwell gave way. âYouâre not Sunday Post now, youâre with me,â he growled. Sadly tragedy repeated itself at an 'old firm' game between Rangers and Celtic on 2 January 1971, when 66 people were killed in a crush on a stairway. It was the worst British football disaster until the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, England, in 1989. Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. On the 5th of April 1902 around 68,000 people were gathered at Ibrox to watch Scotland take on England in a Home Championship match. 51 minutes into the match, at about quarter-past-four, the back of the stand collapsed. The 1971 Ibrox disaster is ingrained in the psyche of Scottish football and, more vividly, in that of the fans of Rangers. Historical Events for the Year 1971. It always gave a little concern, but inevitably in big crowds, no matter the stadium, there was a lot of crushing and the exits would be busy. Found inside... day after it happened but concluded that no blame was to be apportioned. ... Scotland's worst such event was the Ibrox disaster of 1971, which claimed ... Football spectating in the 1960's and 1970's was a completely different scenario compared to the pampered luxuries . IT is a day that will forever haunt Scottish football, the day 66 football fans lost their lives in a huge crush on a . Lord Wheatley, a Scottish judge who had conducted the inquiry into the disaster, released his findings in 1972 and they went on to form the outline for the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds. Found inside – Page 482... 195–7 casuals 216–17 Catholic Church 18, 67 Cavani, Edison 406 celebrities see stardom Celtic FC: disability 284–6; fandom 215; Ibrox disaster 1971 50, ... Probably the earliest football crowd disaster involving
The people lost have certainly not been forgotten, and there is a great responsibility on the club and the likes of me to make sure the message gets out there that they never will be forgotten.â. We pushed our way through the cheerful fans on the pavement,
Temperatures never made it above zero and a freezing fog lingered over the city for much of the day. âI think, in hindsight, if that occurred now, there would be a lot of concern shown to make sure these boys went through some sort of counselling, but there was no counselling back then.â. In the traditional New Year derby, this year played on 2 January, the Rangers and Celtic players had battled with their usual level of . In the press box we had all been commenting on how well behaved the crowd
Initial reports suggested the tragedy had been caused by supporters rushing back up the stairs, after a late Rangers' goal, colliding with people leaving the stadium. âBut it was unrelated. Ibrox Disaster 1971..Were you there? It was the worst British football disaster until the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, England, in 1989. Just to point out the disaster happened on a stairwell not on the actual terracing. On this day in 1971: Remembering the Ibrox disaster that killed 66 fans. France Gabrielle Choco Chanel Fashion Designer and Icon dies at the age of 87 . Then, across the floodlight mist, the distant sounds of shouts and screams
Not many managers in todayâs football world would step in front of a press conference, with that kind of backdrop, the way he did. As Rangers fans streamed out of the stadium, happy to have seen their team salvage a draw from what looked like certain defeat, an accident occurred on Stairway 13, the steep stairwell closest to the subway station and supportersâ buses. one could hear the noise of coins falling from the victims' pockets as
1.1971 Ibrox disaster disaster until the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, England, in 1989. On This Day in 1971: The Ibrox Stadium Disaster. Ibrox disaster 1971: Three eyewitnesses remember the horrific day 66 people died. This was done as it was a cheaper way of constructing a larger terrace, meaning about 36,000 people could be housed in it. 1971 Prices including Wages, Houses and Gas, Toys, Fashions and Furniture, Events include Ibrox disaster, Nasdaq debuts, San Fernando Valley Earthquake, Decimalisation UK, Voting Age Lowered UK and US…. Bodies were now lying everywhere. I think for a long time Colin Stein believed his goal had precipitated it, but the fatal accident inquiry clearly demonstrated that wasnât the case, so that should be laid to rest. While the historian points out the bereaved were always the primary concern and focus, there can be no discounting the impact the disaster had on the players and staff. The front doors were locked and the police officer in charge asked me who I was. Stairway 13 after the disaster. The date — January 2, 1971. The city has been the silent witness to some of the most significant events of the past century, from major triumphs to cataclysmic calamities, and the best of these anecdotes are compiled here to form this unique collection. and had coats and jackets placed over him. Fifty years on from the Ibrox Disaster, a Wishaw first-aider admits the memories of that fateful day will never leave him. China is admitted to the United Nations UN . in the crush. It was popular because it was where the buses, the subway and most of the cars were located. What happened in 1971 was absolutely horrendous. In the deserted ghostly atmosphere of the playing pitch we had thoughts
Found inside... where the Ibrox Disaster had happened in 1971 killing sixtysix supporters. ... dubbed Britain's Most Wanted when he went on the hoof through Britain. She kept repeating: - 'I felt so helpless.'. Ambulances and police cars, their
As the teams washed and changed after the match, those who remained were asked to leave as the dressing rooms became makeshift casualty wards. It is hypothesised that a father carrying a child on their shoulders slipped and the child fell, causing something of a chain-reaction that saw people pile into and onto each other. The Ibrox Disaster remains a painful memory in the hearts and minds of people across Scotland, even nearly 50 years on. Sheriff Smith He presided over a civil damages trial into the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 people died in a crush on an exit stairway at the east end of the stadium on January 2, 1971, and found that it "was due to the fault and negligence of the defenders, Rangers FC". Ibrox Disaster 1971. It was on Saturday the 2nd of January 1971 that the second disaster happened. Jan. 01, 1971 - 66 Die in the Worst Disaster in the History of British Football at Ibrox Park in Glasgow. Another 145 fans were injured. View the embedded image gallery online at: Top Ten Biggest Football Stadiums In The UK, Top 10 Biggest Football Stadiums In The World, Top 10 Biggest Football Stadiums In Europe, Greatest Football Stadiums Lost To History, https://www.football-stadiums.co.uk/articles/ibrox-stadium-disasters/#sigProId052c6d654d. Found inside... away after the Ibrox Disaster of 1971, when sixtysix people lost their lives. ... would be rebuilt in order that such a crush could never happen again. On a bitterly cold and foggy January afternoon Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow witnessed what was the worst sporting tragedy ever at the time, as 66 people were killed in a devastating crush following the traditional New Year Old Firm game between Rangers and Celtic. they were lifted away. became apparent. Found inside – Page 427... 113–18 Iolaire disaster, 122 landowners during, 107, 108 Loos, Battle of, ... 256–7 Ibrox disaster (1971), 232 IMF, 248 Independent Labour party, 88, ... It happened on 2 January 1971 in an exit stairway at Ibrox Park (now Ibrox Stadium) in Glasgow, Scotland. in spite of the fact that the Govan Burgh Surveyor passed the wooden structure fit for service, newspapers reported that it was unstable. Columbia, SC Private Plane Crash, Feb 1971. Found inside – Page 308injuries at the Ibrox disaster of 1971 had already showcased what could be done, and pointed to UK soccer's future—there were three new, allseater stands ... Then, as dozens of police and ambulancemen
Ibrox Stadium opened in 1899 as Ibrox Park and has been the home of Glasgow Rangers ever since. people were killed in a crush on a stairway. Legendary Sheriff Irvine Smith QC is one of the most formidable criminal lawyers of his generation. Found inside – Page 454... Billy, 78,79 Humphrys, John, 356 Hutton Inquiry,357 Ibrox disaster (1971), 67–8 Iceland football team, 164-5 IFK Gothenburg, 170,272,273,397 Ince, Paul, ... The Ibrox disaster would be eclipsed by the death toll at Hillsborough, but the truth is it was already being viewed as a secondary event. Found inside – Page 210Just as after the Munich disaster in 1958 and as it would be again after the Ibrox disaster in 1971 the attitude ... Jul 21, 2021. It happened on 2 January 1971 in an exit stairway at Ibrox Park (now Ibrox Stadium) in Glasgow, Scotland.. Found insideBolton, in 1946 when crush barriers collapsed, and the Ibrox disaster in 1971 was the second to take place there. By the time football became a forum for ... The 1971 Ibrox disaster was a crush among the crowd at an Old Firm football game, which led to 66 deaths and more than 200 injuries. The 1971 Ibrox disaster was a crush among the crowd at an Old Firm football game, which led to 66 deaths and more than 200 injuries. That night feels as though it was last week and I can describe people on the stretchers vividly. of the stand. The Ibrox Disaster - Remembering the 66. It happened on 2 January 1971 in an exit stairway at Ibrox Park (now Ibrox Stadium) in Glasgow, Scotland.. Even now it is not known exactly what happened. The 1971 Ibrox Stadium Disaster John Greig Rangers F.C at the time of the 1971 tragedy - Lynn M Reid [ CC BY-SA 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons It is perhaps a sad quirk of fate that the two disasters to occur at Ibrox took place when major rivalries were being played out on the pitch. January 1, 2010. The Ibrox Disaster of 1971 is one of the worst in British football history. of The Herald. Found inside – Page 501Heysel Stadium disaster 10, 252, 319, 338, 339, 346,369 Hibernian FC 35–6,37, ... Ibrox disaster (1902) 92 Ibrox disaster (1971) 319, 338 Ibrox Stadium 71, ... January 2, 1971, 50 years ago today: The Ibrox Disaster occurs, at Ibrox Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Then, across the field at the north-east corner - Section 13 - there
A total of 66 people died in the Ibrox disaster, with at least 200 more left injured in what was then the worst stadium tragedy that Britain had ever witnessed. Beyond, the steps were still dense with groaning people. Ibrox, Hillsborough and Bradford were all accidents waiting to happen in an era when clubs just wanted to cram as many people in as possible with no regard to comfort or safety. When I got back to the office my boss told me to go to the pub and have a couple of drams, as if I hadnât had any already. #1. âWillie Waddell said we canât have this anymore, where people come to the ground and arenât safe in this sort of environment. "Stairway 13" is quite a difficult read purely due to the accounts from the people that were there on the day. Share More sharing options. âA few weeks earlier, Colinâs wife had given birth and Margaret had gone to his house with a present for the baby, so there was a personal touch to it as well,â said David. The stadium's owner, Rangers F.C., was later ruled . For the fans who could not be saved, their covered bodies were laid out on the pitch. Despite the location of them we will treat them as the separate incidents that they were. They'd also been in the East Enclosure at Ibrox January 2nd 1971. Found inside – Page 297... Nick, 228, 229, 249 Huddersfield Town, 104, 130, 141 Ibrox, 90, 138, 168, 181 Ibrox disaster (1902), 90 Ibrox disaster (1971), 181 Ingham, Bernard, 204, ... âFor a lot of people leaving the game, the vast majority would have no concept of what they had left behind,â said David Mason, Rangersâ official historian. There was nothing underneath it other than the girders that had been supporting the wooden slats, meaning that those standing in that area simply fell though the floor from a height of about twelve metres or forty feet. Ibrox disaster . The disaster is believed to have . Found insideTRAGEDY The Ibrox Disaster in 1971 was an awful warning that wasn't heeded: there were specific causes for it, but ultimately what was responsible was the ... From 1978, Ibrox was entirely rebuilt and on completion in 1981 at a reported cost of £10 million, the new stadium was rated the best in Britain. The Lord Provost
halfway down the steps, a jacket over his face. âThere is always a sombre look that comes across their faces â it really did strike the players very hard. That common bond of loss, grief and unity inspired by the Ibrox Disaster on January 2, 1971 is shared by the Old Firm and the whole of Scotland, and by everyone who has ever been to a match. and steps of Section 13, one young nurse was being helped away, crying. Iâd been there for about 10 minutes when I heard someone say: âThatâs three.â There was a bit of an eerie atmosphere and people were running around aimlessly. Post author. I was chatting with Walter Smithâs son, Neil, who told me his dad went to the game on the bus from Carmyle and the families were waiting on the bus coming back.â. Here we’ll have a look at both of these events, exploring how they happened and their aftermath. Ibrox disaster victims deserve more respect than discredited goal myth. or helped down the terracing. After 89 minutes of scoreless football Celtic took a 1-0 lead and many Rangers supporters left the stadium. "Through archive footage, emotional testimony from those impacted by the events, and interviews with journalists who covered the stories, this series examines disasters that have shocked Scotland. a Scottish team was the 1902 Scotland-England international where a stadium
Thankfully nobody died on either of those dates but Rangers could have done more to prevent it happening again. Sadly tragedy repeated itself at an
I was working for The Sunday Post, doing reports for the sports paper, The Sporting Post, and when Colin Steinâs equaliser went in I thought that was it, and took off down the twisting metal staircase from the press box to the main entrance of Ibrox, at the reception area. Unfortunately the club had spent around £150,000 making improvements to the stadium by the end of the 1960s and believed they had dealt with the issues that had occurred previously. Found insideIt was the worst disaster to hit modern British football since the Ibrox disaster in 1971 where 66 supporters died. The events at Hillsborough came only ... Found inside – Page 152The players played the game regardless of all that had happened. ... Dalglish was a Celtic player when 66 people were killed in the Ibrox disaster of 1971. Instead terraces all over the United Kingdom had to be made in such a way that they were supported by solid, compacted earth or else reinforced concrete. Colmar, PA Train And Auto Collision, Sept 1971. In this episode, we revisit the 1971 Ibrox disaster. For my efforts that night I was given a bottle of whisky and £25 as a bonus for going above and beyond. All sorts of things like that have taken place and still do. Someone said: - 'Fighting must have started there.' Iâd been on that staircase in the past and saw people lose their shoe and try to reach down to retrieve it â even something as simple as that could have precipitated the accident.â, There had been incidents on the stairway before â in 1961 two fans died, and in both 1967 and 1969 a number were injured. It was if the fates decided to play an evil trick. But he was dead. The image of a nurse from Glasgowâs Royal Infirmary dashing from a car at the stadiumâs main entrance and rushing inside appeared in The Postâs coverage of the disaster the morning after. severe restrictions were enforced on the numbers of supporters admitted
A wedge of emptiness had been created part of the way down the long steep
Ibrox disaster in Scotland when On January 2nd 66 die in stairway crush at Rangers v Celtic football match . Found insideBelow are the words '2 January 1971 – Always Remembered'. The 40th anniversary of the Ibrox Disaster was observed both before the match and the following ... There were 66 deaths, over 200 injuries. . Found insideWaddell also took responsibility as the public face of the club in the aftermath of the Ibrox Disaster of 1971. It was his decision that Rangers players ... seemed inexplicable because one had been able to sense the entire good
Until 96 Liverpool fans were killed in the crush that occurred in the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest, it was the worst loss of life to have been suffered at a . which only minutes before, Colin Stein had brought so much happiness by
The disaster happened in an exit stairway at Ibrox Park in Glasgow, Scotland, and led to 66 deaths and over 200 casualties. Two of us rushed down the spiral staircase from the top
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