"We must never forget": Burnden Park disaster remembered 79 years on - Iqraa news

This year marks 79 years since the Burnden Park disaster,  a tragedy that took the lives of 33 football fans in what was, at the time, the deadliest stadium incident in UK history.

The disaster occurred on March 9, when, during an FA Cup sixth-round tie vs Stoke City.

Wanderers were hosting an eagerly-awaited FA Cup quarter-final against Stanley Matthews’ Stoke City and by 2.40pm took the decision to close the railway embankment gates with 15,000 fans waiting to get in.

Many of the fans found alternate ways into the ground. It had been predicted 55,000 people would watch the game and the official attendance would register 65,419. Unofficially it was thought to be 85,000.

Fans ‘bottlenecked’ in the embankment had already started to spill out on to the cinder track prior to kick-off because of the pressure but once the game started, the excitement became so great the weight of the crowd bore down on the spectators at the front. Barriers collapsed and people, three or four deep, were trampled underfoot by their helpless neighbours.

Around 500 people were also injured but the game played on.

Many – including the great Nat Lofthouse, then just 20 – were unaware of the tragic events until they read the final edition of the Evening News.

Read more: Bolton remembers 33 who died in Burnden Park disaster

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Astley Bridge councillor, and Bolton Wanderers fan of 65 years, John Walsh, said: "It was a great tragedy for the town and the football club, at a time when we were trying to celebrate the success of the war.

"I was privileged to be involved the service to commemorate the 50th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of the tragedy some years ago, along with the unveiling of the plaque in Asda, at the spot near to where the disaster occurred.

"It had a profound impact on the future of football safety, which of course doesn't take away from the sadness of it."

The deaths at Burden Park on March 9, 1946 triggered the Moelwyn Hughes report which recommended limitations on crowd sizes, and is believed to have saved lives in the process, although notable disasters related to overcrowding did occur since.

Cllr Walsh added: "We didn’t have the social media that we have today, people had to rely on the newspapers and radio to find out about the safety of relatives and loved ones, which would have been incredibly anxious times.

"We must never lose sight or forget the 33 people who went out on a Saturday afternoon to watch the football and never returned home."