In tribute to those that perished in the Ibrox disaster 1971

[ian1964 10,720]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pv9ClLBn6M

[Anchorman 0]

For those of us who were born it is not a day that will ever be forgotten.

[pete 2,499]

For those of us who were born it is not a day that will ever be forgotten.

Agreed, it was my first OF game and thankfully I was only allowed to go because I could use my uncles season ticket for the main stand. I made that walk with my father many times and it really was frightening for at least a young boy. My father always told me to keep my arms crossed in front of my chest. You were just carried along trying to make sure your feet were on the ground. Regularly there were shouts to stop people at the top entering so as the pressure could be eased. Thinking back now it always was just an accident waiting to happen.

God bless all of them.

[Anchorman 0]

A lot of people forget that in those days there were no mobile phones so it was a day of complete torture waiting to hear from loved ones (my dad in my case who always came down stairway 13, who thankfully had left a bit early). Loads of people didn't know anything about it and went straight to the pub. So news didn't travel fast in those days. It was a horrible day.

[bossy 0]

A lot of people forget that in those days there were no mobile phones so it was a day of complete torture waiting to hear from loved ones (my dad in my case who always came down stairway 13, who thankfully had left a bit early). Loads of people didn't know anything about it and went straight to the pub. So news didn't travel fast in those days. It was a horrible day.

 

I was in the Rangers End that day. As we exited Ibrox, we knew that something had happened but had no idea of the enormity. It took me about an hour and a half to get home to find my mother in a total state. Like you say, no mobile phones.

[BEARGER 1,830]

A lot of people forget that in those days there were no mobile phones so it was a day of complete torture waiting to hear from loved ones (my dad in my case who always came down stairway 13, who thankfully had left a bit early). Loads of people didn't know anything about it and went straight to the pub. So news didn't travel fast in those days. It was a horrible day.

 

After the game my mate and I went into the Parkway Bar at Halfway on PRW, we knew nothing about what had happened. As the news came through on TV and Radio one of the barmen said " lads I think you should go home, family will be worried". When we reached Berryknowes Road my mates parents were out looking for us.

Edited December 30, 2013 by BEARGER

[ian1964 10,720]

After the game my mate and I went into the Parkway Bar at Halfway on PRW, we knew nothing about what had happened. As the news came through on TV and Radio one of the barmen said " lads I think you should go home, family will be worried". When we reached Berryknowes Road my mates parents were out looking for us.

 

You and your mates parents must have been absolutely terrified at the thought of you not returning home from the game.

[ian1964 10,720]

A glass will be raised today for the loss of these fans and their families

[compo 7,030]

As one who was rescued it will be something I will never forget the spells of silence while being trapped then it would be broken by some poor person moaning with pain I was lucky I was saved but I saw sights that day I would never like to see again .

[26th of foot 6,082]

I was 14 years of age

 

I have contributed to such threads before, I continue to feel fortunate that my old man was a stickler for leaving every game five minutes early. We descended stairway 13 a couple of minutes before the Disaster. We heard the roars of both goals in both Harrison Drive and Ibroxholm Oval. What happened had nothing to do with suggestions of Bears attempting to ascend the stairway after Colin Stein's equaliser, truthfully it a disaster waiting to happen. The Stairway had a dogleg at the bottom to get through the red sliding door exit. Further, the sides of the stairway were supported by hundreds of stacked blackened railway sleepers.

 

We walked to the border between Kinning Park/Tradeston, got in the car and drove back to Lanarkshire. It was a foggy evening and the car was reduced to a crawl on the Clydeside road. We stopped at the chippy in the next village to pick up grub for myself and elder cousin. My parents were attending a local party and were intent on a quick departure. Thus, it was surprising to see my mother was waiting with the family dog at the end of our short street. Nearly 2 hours after the game, we were ushered into the dining room to eat and my parents spoke in whispers in the kitchen.

 

A Motherwell supporting mate arrived an hour later as my parents were leaving. He asked my mum to telephone his mum. A few minutes later, I was asked if I had seen a school pal on leaving the game. She returned to hall and answered, "no, but he did see Colin". A news bulletin on the TV stated there had been an incident at Ibrox and police had reported two dead, more injured, some seriously. My cousin, my friend, and I watched the numerous bulletins that evening, the last one interrupted the late night film, 'Masque of the Red Death'. The death toll had been rising on each interruption, it reported the death toll would exceed 80. It was a couple of days later that the toll settled at 66.

 

My school pal perished, swept from his shoes and crushed. He had been on a local RSC bus and had not returned. The phone-calls were attempts to locate him. I remember a photograph in the Herald, it was large and depicted a lower section of the stairway with hundreds of shoes littering the steps. Haunting!