Ibrox Disaster 1971....Were you there?

[Dindeleux]

As has been said many times before by many people - it just doesn't bear thinking about that anyone would go to the football and not come home, especially not in these circumstances.

The whole thought of a crush terrifies me.  I was at a concert a couple of years ago where a bit of fighting broke out maybe 30 or so yards from us.  You could see the outline of a fight but it must've turned into quite a big melee because suddenly it felt as if double the amount of people were standing where we were.  This wee rush only lasted for about 30 seconds but the panic (for me anyway) set in quite quickly and that is in a big open space in broad daylight so to have been caught up in this must've been horrific.  

[The_Kincardine]

On 7/4/2018 at 19:20, Jimboyjones1976 said:

Reading this thread with interest. Ironically, the only flaw in the safety systems in those days was the fact that they herded fans in groups rather than treat them as individuals. Post Taylor report, experts cited the main reason for all seating was that each supporter would be allocated a ‘cell of safety’ within the ground which couldn’t be moved. More than one fan in a cell leads to movement of people when that is exactly what stadium designers don’t want, unless they have designed the flow of movement. Effectively, football grounds working on this principle could have virtually limitless capacity, and be safe. I remember some terraced games at Hampden that were frankly terrifying, and that was in the 80’s. Whilst the surge of supporters was exciting, there was no doubt it was dangerous. 

In the old standing terraces crush barriers were meant to provide relief from the surge and were mostly effective.  BUT it didn't take many games at Ibrox or Hampden, even as a youngster, to realise that it was best to stand with your back to the barrier so that you didn't get swept forward every time a goal was scored.

[Glenconner]

28 minutes ago, The_Kincardine said:

Thanks for keeping this thread going, Bro Glenconner.  And, yes, it was such a foggy/misty/grey/dreich day in The Weege.  My auld man was forbidden to take me to Ibrox as we had to go to his sisters' flat in West End Park Street for a late Ne'erday family dinner which included about a dozen of us.  Tears and snotters from me before the game (because I didn't get to go) followed by tears and snotters from my maiden aunts when we arrived late as they had thought the worst.

Particularly poignant for me this year as I'm going to Motherwell tomorrow to bury my auld dear who died just before Christmas.  No great trauma as she was 91 but was the 'last of a generation' and the last surviving adult of that Ne'erday dinner.

I hope you bump the thread again next year as it has significance for a few on here but is also a reminder of how much stadium design has come on in the past 50 years - with special mention to The Deedle who was a bit of a visionary in the redevelopment of Ibrox.

Condolences to you and yours K. Will be doing the same with the Mother in Law next week, three weeks short of 93 birthday.

We should remember the tragedy if only to pass on what it was really like in years past at major football matches in Scotland. I’ll openly admit the aftermath for the families freaks me. The idea that somehow time heals in the case of children dying, that the parents will some day be a peace is of course BS. Was the German lady in Fife consoled or the parents of the Liverpool lad or my wee neighbour who got £3000 and not 5 minutes of bereavement counselling to end up taking an overdose of sleeping tablets 25 years later. Most people were bewildered. And truth be told probably broken.

But for the grace of god it could have you or me.

[The_Kincardine]

2 hours ago, Glenconner said:

Condolences to you and yours K. Will be doing the same with the Mother in Law next week, three weeks short of 93 birthday.

We should remember the tragedy if only to pass on what it was really like in years past at major football matches in Scotland. I’ll openly admit the aftermath for the families freaks me. The idea that somehow time heals in the case of children dying, that the parents will some day be a peace is of course BS. Was the German lady in Fife consoled or the parents of the Liverpool lad or my wee neighbour who got £3000 and not 5 minutes of bereavement counselling to end up taking an overdose of sleeping tablets 25 years later. Most people were bewildered. And truth be told probably broken.

We're blessed to have had parents/parents-in-law whose lives ran their course.  Let's remember those who hadn't that fortune.

[wingnut]

Not been on here for a while,I was at the game as a 12 year old in the Celtic end with a couple of pals and had pals who were in the Rangers end,never really knew that was going on until hours later and met with family of pals who were in the Rangers end and were obviously worried and then relieved when they turned up later,I’ve been to these games past and present and have always observed the minutes silence as it was a tragedy for all concerned .

[whereismillar]

My dad was at this game ,he did not arrive back home till 3 am missing his shoes socks and his trousers (he was given clothes by the police) he had become trapped 

in the crush by his legs and was pulled out by some guy just when he was going down, arrived home in shock with the police...he was never the same after this .

[Elizabeth Bickerton]

My uncle died in this disaster. I never knew him and know nothing about his previous history. My mum has passed away so family sources of information are gone.

if anyone knew anything about Walter Robert Raeburn - age 36, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Elizabeth Bickerton

 

[The_Kincardine]

11 minutes ago, Elizabeth Bickerton said:

My uncle died in this disaster. I never knew him and know nothing about his previous history. My mum has passed away so family sources of information are gone.

if anyone knew anything about Walter Robert Raeburn - age 36, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Elizabeth Bickerton

Hi Elizabeth.  Sorry about your uncle - it was such a terrible day.  It may be worth posting a question in the General Nonsense section as I doubt many of the Rangers fans on here would have known him.  However, there are a fair few posters from Edinburgh so it may be worth asking them if any of them knew your uncle.

It may also be worth asking on Follow Follow or Gersnet.

[The_Kincardine]

Paging @GlenconnerHope all is well, buddy.

[NUMBER 7]

As a 10 year old at the time, I can clearly remember the day this tragic event happened. The previous day January 1st Falkirk had beaten Rangers 3-1 at Brockville. The next day my father, myself, and his two mates headed off in the car to see Falkirk play Airdrie at Broomfield. There had been a hard frost overnight and about 1.00 pm the game at Airdrie was postponed. That Saturday afternoon plans then changed to my father and his two mates and I then taking in the East Stirlingshire v Patrick Thistle match at Firs Park which Thistle won 2-0. 

On returning home around 6.00 pm The grainy black and white pictures on the Scottish News were being broadcast, the images were poor quality but the magnitude of what had happened was becoming clear, the house had a silence that had totally replaced the happiness of New Year and having beaten Rangers the day before. 

A truly tragic day in Scottish Football. 

[Tutankhamen]

On 19 October 2019 at 17:26, Elizabeth Bickerton said:

My uncle died in this disaster. I never knew him and know nothing about his previous history. My mum has passed away so family sources of information are gone.

if anyone knew anything about Walter Robert Raeburn - age 36, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Elizabeth Bickerton

 

Would suggest going to the local Edinburgh pages on Facebook.

[BillyAnchor]

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/03/rangers-football-forgotten-tragedy-ibrox-stadium-disaster-glasgow?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3Z3BQSe_8Q1noHa11Vr9FHbQntTdLoEnIfiMWX7Es6_G0MVCV58sVPTfU#Echobox=1607003053 

[Mark Connolly]

I see the BBC have a documentary on tomorrow (Monday) night - BBC1 at 1030pm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qvk5

[The_Kincardine]

On 27/12/2020 at 15:03, Mark Connolly said:

I see the BBC have a documentary on tomorrow (Monday) night - BBC1 at 1030pm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qvk5

That was a hell of a hard watch.

When my auld man took me to Ibrox we usually went to the enclosure but when I went with my uncle and his pals we'd go to the (now() Copland end and, to be honest, I'd now want crampons to get me up those stairs.

Not popular with some  but the design of Ibrox was the major contributor to the deaths of our fellow Bears and we had been warned about it in previous years but took little heed.  50 years is plenty to admit some degree of culpability.

Each anniversary since I do shed a tear for the lads and lassie.  This is normal and I am not ashamed to admit it.

[Drew Brees]

Good article about both disasters, from someone caught up in both, and rangers part in them. 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/03/rangers-football-forgotten-tragedy-ibrox-stadium-disaster-glasgow

 

[The Mantis]

On 27/12/2020 at 15:03, Mark Connolly said:

I see the BBC have a documentary on tomorrow (Monday) night - BBC1 at 1030pm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qvk5

Missed it but it’s repeated on BBC Scotland on Sunday. Did anybody note whether this is a new programme and not just a repeat from a few years ago?

[welshbairn]

15 minutes ago, Drew Brees said:

Good article about both disasters, from someone caught up in both, and rangers part in them. 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/03/rangers-football-forgotten-tragedy-ibrox-stadium-disaster-glasgow

 

Aye, the BBC fairly soft soaped the contribution of Rangers' negligence and the reaction of the authorities.

[Drew Brees]

3 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Aye, the BBC fairly soft soaped the contribution of Rangers' negligence and the reaction of the authorities.

A summary of the program:
66 football fans, many of them children, died in a horrible crush;
No one was to blame (well except maybe the fans themselves); 
Despite the 3 previous serious incidents, including 2 dead fans, no one could have foreseen the horrific "accident waiting to happen"; and
The club got a new stadium out of it so it wasn't all bad

[D Angelo Barksdale]

Not ashamed to admit there were tears watching the documentary and reading the articles.

There's something about footballing tragedies that provoke very visceral emotions in me. The thought of folk going to the football and not coming home is something I find very upsetting.

 

[Lurkst]

2 hours ago, The Mantis said:

Missed it but it’s repeated on BBC Scotland on Sunday. Did anybody note whether this is a new programme and not just a repeat from a few years ago?

It's a new programme although I'd seen the same people interviewed about it before. 

On the iplayer now also.