The 1902 Ibrox Disaster

In 1902 Scottish football suffered one of its most terrible tragedies as the collapse of a stand at Ibrox Stadium led to the deaths of 25 people and over 500 injured. The tragedy occurred at the April 5 1902 British Home Championship match between Scotland and England, with 68,000 fans in attendance in Govan. Midway through the first half witnesses heard the wooden stand splintering and caving in, with hundreds falling through the gap and onto the concrete below. The match restarted after the collapse, with officials fearing that an abandonment would hinder rescue attempts. Scotland and Liverpool star, Alex Raisbeck, who was on the pitch that day later told The Weekly News newspaper: “When we saw the ambulance men at work, we knew that something serious had happened. We were told to retire to the dressing-rooms. I shall never forget the scenes inside. Dead bodies and groaning men were lying on the seats where only a short time ago the Scottish players had stripped. Even some of the players’ clothing was requisitioned for bandages. Play was resumed after the wounded had been cared for, but you can easily understand how the players felt after witnessing such pathetic scenes. They could not be expected to play their best. Many thought that play should not have been resumed but I think the SFA officials did the right thing, as they feared there might have been a panic if the game was not resumed.” Ibrox Stadium underwent extensive repairs and renovations in the aftermath of the tragedy, but another disaster occurred there in 1971 as 66 Rangers fans were killed in a crush on a stairway during an Old Firm clash with Celtic.