Ibrox disaster
Encyclopedia
The Ibrox disaster refers to two accidents, in 1902 and 1971, which led to major loss of life at the Ibrox Stadium
(formerly Ibrox Park) in Glasgow
, Scotland.
On 5 April 1902, during the 1902 British Home Championship
match between Scotland
and England
, the back of the newly built West Tribune Stand collapsed due to heavy rainfall the previous night. Hundreds of supporters fell up to 40 feet (12 m) to the ground below. 25 people died and 517 were injured.
The stand at the time consisted of wooden terracing supported by a steel girder frame. Following the accident such frameworks were discredited, and replaced throughout the United Kingdom by terracing supported by earthworks or reinforced concrete.
The tragedy
occurred after 51 minutes of the match, which was allowed to finish, to avoid supporters exiting en masse crowding the area obstructing rescue work, but was declared void by the two Football Associations. All proceeds of the replayed match at Villa Park
, Birmingham on 3 May 1902 went to the disaster fund.
. On 16 September 1961 two people were killed in a crush on the stairway, and there were two other incidents where several people were injured. Rangers had by then spent a total of £150,000 on improvements, a very significant sum of money for the time.
game and was attended by over 80,000 fans. In the last regulation minute, Celtic took a 0–1 lead and some Rangers supporters started to leave the stadium. However, in the final moments of the match, Colin Stein
scored an equaliser for Rangers.
As thousands of spectators were leaving the ground by stairway 13, it appears that someone, possibly a child being carried on his father's shoulders, fell, causing a massive chain-reaction pile-up of people.
The tragic loss included many children – five of them schoolmates from the town of Markinch
in Fife. Most of the deaths were caused by compressive asphyxia, with bodies being stacked up to six feet deep in the area. Over 200 other fans were injured.
Initially there was speculation that some fans left the ground slightly early when Celtic scored, but then turned back when they heard the crowd cheering when Stein scored the equaliser, colliding with fans leaving the ground when the match ended. The official inquiry into the disaster indicated that there was no truth in this hypothesis, however, as all the spectators were going in the same direction at the time of the collapse.
's Westfalenstadion
for inspiration. Ibrox was converted to an all seater stadium, and was subsequently awarded UEFA five star status, now category four.
For some years after the 1971 disaster there was only a small plaque at the corner of the ground where it happened. However, in 1995 Rangers announced plans to commemorate the fatalities of the 66 fans killed in the 1971 disaster. On 2 January 2001, the thirtieth anniversary of the tragedy, a larger monument was unveiled at the corner of the Bill Struth
Main Stand and the Copland Road Stand. The monument contains blue plaques displaying with the names of each person killed in all three incidents. A statue of John Greig
, the Rangers captain at the time of the 1971 disaster, stands atop the monument.
In 2011, the 40th anniversary of the disaster was commemorated before the Old Firm game on 2 January 2011 when a one-minute silence was observed before the game. Both teams wore black armbands as a sign of respect and were led out by John Greig and Billy McNeill – the respective club captains at the time of the disaster; but Billy McNeill was out injured at the time and did not play in the game.
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Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
(formerly Ibrox Park) in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland.
First Ibrox disaster
1902 British Home Championship
The 1902 British Home Championship was an international football tournament between the British Home Nations which was meant to herald the arrival full professional game of football as both England and Scotland fielded fully professional teams for the first time...
match between Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, the back of the newly built West Tribune Stand collapsed due to heavy rainfall the previous night. Hundreds of supporters fell up to 40 feet (12 m) to the ground below. 25 people died and 517 were injured.
The stand at the time consisted of wooden terracing supported by a steel girder frame. Following the accident such frameworks were discredited, and replaced throughout the United Kingdom by terracing supported by earthworks or reinforced concrete.
The tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
occurred after 51 minutes of the match, which was allowed to finish, to avoid supporters exiting en masse crowding the area obstructing rescue work, but was declared void by the two Football Associations. All proceeds of the replayed match at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
, Birmingham on 3 May 1902 went to the disaster fund.
Further incidents
During 1963, concerns were raised about the safety of the stairway adjacent to passageway 13 (colloquially known as Stairway 13) the exit closest to Copland Road subway stationIbrox subway station
Ibrox subway station is a station serving the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The station was known as Copland Road until 1977. The station's surface buildings were replaced during the Subway's modernisation programme, with the main entrance still located on Copland Road...
. On 16 September 1961 two people were killed in a crush on the stairway, and there were two other incidents where several people were injured. Rangers had by then spent a total of £150,000 on improvements, a very significant sum of money for the time.
Second Ibrox disaster
The second major incident occurred on Saturday, 2 January 1971, when 66 people were killed in a crush, as supporters tried to leave the stadium. The match was an Old FirmOld Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
game and was attended by over 80,000 fans. In the last regulation minute, Celtic took a 0–1 lead and some Rangers supporters started to leave the stadium. However, in the final moments of the match, Colin Stein
Colin Stein
Colin Stein is a former Scottish football player.-Career:Stein began his career with Armadale Thistle, and went on to play for Hibernian, Rangers and the Scottish national team during the 1960s and 1970s. He also had a spell in England with Coventry City...
scored an equaliser for Rangers.
As thousands of spectators were leaving the ground by stairway 13, it appears that someone, possibly a child being carried on his father's shoulders, fell, causing a massive chain-reaction pile-up of people.
The tragic loss included many children – five of them schoolmates from the town of Markinch
Markinch
Markinch is a small town situated in the heart of Fife, in the eastern central lowlands of Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town...
in Fife. Most of the deaths were caused by compressive asphyxia, with bodies being stacked up to six feet deep in the area. Over 200 other fans were injured.
Consequences
The 1971 disaster led to a huge redevelopment of the Ibrox ground, spearheaded by the then manager Willie Waddell, who visited Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
's Westfalenstadion
Westfalenstadion
Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga....
for inspiration. Ibrox was converted to an all seater stadium, and was subsequently awarded UEFA five star status, now category four.
For some years after the 1971 disaster there was only a small plaque at the corner of the ground where it happened. However, in 1995 Rangers announced plans to commemorate the fatalities of the 66 fans killed in the 1971 disaster. On 2 January 2001, the thirtieth anniversary of the tragedy, a larger monument was unveiled at the corner of the Bill Struth
Bill Struth
Bill Struth was the second manager of Rangers Football Club, leading the Club for 34 years between 1920 and 1954, as well as the holder of a number of other positions, including director...
Main Stand and the Copland Road Stand. The monument contains blue plaques displaying with the names of each person killed in all three incidents. A statue of John Greig
John Greig
John Greig MBE is a Scottish former professional football player who, despite his boyhood allegiance to hometown team Heart of Midlothian, spent his entire career in Glasgow with Rangers as a player, manager and director.Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the Rangers supporters...
, the Rangers captain at the time of the 1971 disaster, stands atop the monument.
In 2011, the 40th anniversary of the disaster was commemorated before the Old Firm game on 2 January 2011 when a one-minute silence was observed before the game. Both teams wore black armbands as a sign of respect and were led out by John Greig and Billy McNeill – the respective club captains at the time of the disaster; but Billy McNeill was out injured at the time and did not play in the game.
Names of casualties and their ages
| George Adams (43) | Hugh Addie (33) | David Anderson (45) | Richard Bark (15) | John Buchanan (31) | Robert Cairns (17) |
| Robert Carrigan (13) | John Crawford (23) | Thomas Dickson (32) | Charles Dougan (31) | Francis Dover (16) | David Duff (23) |
| Peter Easton (13) | Peter Farris (26) | Margaret Ferguson (18) | George Findlay (21) | Ian Frew (21) | John Gardiner (32) |
| Robert Grant (21) | Thomas Grant (16) | James Grey (37) | Adam Henderson (42) | Ian Hunter (14) | Brian Hutchinson (16) |
| George Irwin (22) | John Jeffrey (16) | Andrew Lindsay (18) | Charles Livingston (30) | James Mair (19) | Russell Malcolm (16) |
| Robert Maxwell (15) | Robert McAdam (36) | Duncan McBrearty (17) | David McGhee (14) | James McGovern (24) | Alex McIntyre (29) |
| John McLeay (23) | Richard McLeay (28) | Donald McPhearson (30) | Thomas McRobbie (17) | Thomas Melville (17) | Russell Morgan (14) |
| Douglas Morrison (15) | Robert Mulholland (16) | John Neil (29) | George Nelson (22) | Alexander Orr (16) | Martin Paiton (14) |
| Mason Phillips (14) | Nigel Pickup (8) | James Rae (19) | Robert Rae (25) | Walter Raeburn (36) | Matthew Reid (49) |
| John Semple (18) | William Shaw (30) | Walter Shields (15) | James Sibbald (28) | William Somerhill (17) | George Smith (40) |
| Charles Stirling (20) | Thomas Stirling (16) | Donald Sutherland (14) | Brian Todd (14) | James Trainer (20) | George Wilson (15) |
| Peter Wright (31) |
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