66 stars

[Steve1872 4]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pv9ClLBn6M&feature=youtu.be

[Steve1872 4]

Hearing that the Liverpool fans clapped during the 66th minute for our lost #RangersFamily members #Respect #JFT96 #YNWA #WATPRetweeted by Rangers Supporters

[TheWeeBlueDevil 0]

Piper at Ibrox yesterday playing 'Flowers of the forest' in tribute to the fans who never returned

 

[The Real PapaBear 0]

Good for that guy. Respect. There should be something to mark the spot permanently.

[Guest Lloret1972]

I never comment on this day on the actual anniversary as it still cuts me up. I was on stairway 13 with my older brother, I was 17 and he 26. We saw Colin Stein equalise (and wondered when the FAI and press tried to attribute that as the reason for the accident).

My memory of the acute details of our exit from the stadium disappeared from my mind for a long time until me and my my brother were having a bevvy in far off Sydney in about 1989 and he corrected my recollection of the day. We, it seems were about just 20 seconds - ahead - of the disaster and looked back when we heard a low roarfrom the stairway but carried on out the gate into Cairnlea Drive and on towards our supporter's bus parked in Brand Street. I don't recall the passage down the stairway as being much worse than other times at big games then (and Parkhead then was usually a worse experience though St. James Park (Gallowgate end) in Newcastle in a Fairs Cities Cup match about 1969 tops the bill as the scariest) but it was as usual a big Ne'erday crowd. We knew obviously that there had been - what we thought - a crush and never thought much more about it until late comers to the bus brought more eye witness accounts. Somebody came on with a transisitor (radio) and we began to hear about the magnitude on the way home. Bill Francie was the BBC reporting man I think.

Getting home, our ma' was so relieved that her boys got hame safely.

 

I attended the 30th. anniversary memorial service inside the stadium in 2001 and the 40th. in 2011 - which was considerably smaller - and attended by the much maligned Neil Lennon - and as I looked around myself on both occasions I could see quite a lot of people around my own age and as we passed each other there was as a sure but unspoken recognition among us. As someone approaching free bus ticket age It gave me strength and reminded me of just how dear the family we call Rangers is and means to us.

 

On a more subjective and critical note I have to finish by laying down blame for the disaster fairly and squarely at:

 

1. Rangers Football Club - i.e. the directors of the John Lawrence era (including it has to be said the legend known as the Wee Blue Devil, Alan Morton) for allowing that wooden fence on either side of the stairway to remain. That Berlin Wall like fence killed a lot of the 66 because they had nowhere to go but down.

2. The government - for allowing the disgraceful and unsafe conditions within football stadia in Scotland - not only Ibrox.

3. The Scottish Football Association, its management committee in particular who never gave a damn about supporters or their safety.

4. Glasgow Corporation councillors, ditto above.

5. City of Glasgow police - for their usual "We're only here to lift them" attitude.

 

However the early seventies was another era and nobody much cared for the paying supporter or their collective safety. You could say it was a Society mindset, or mass couldn't give a fuckism.

 

Apologies for the rant but I might no be here in 2021.

 

WATP

[pete 2,494]

Here is another video of the Liverpool and Rangers bond. I must admit I never knew we had a bond with Liverpool I always believed Celtic had that. Possibly because of walk on. i have always said we should start singing that. That would be one of the biggest kicks in the teeth we could give them.