The number 26 on the Stadium gates

[Boab 73]

Maybe I'm naive but I didn't know this.

Of course, I knew about the Ibrox Disaster but driving past the stands and through the stadium grounds, I wasn't sure of why there was a 26 on the big blue gates.

Phoned my Dad and he said it was because of the Ibrox Disaster and for stairway or was it 26?

That true?

[RFC55 109,541]

its the establishments number

[Emerson 2]

Its the number that lost their lives in the first Ibrox disaster.

[Jonnyboyrfc 296]

I thought 25 died in the first one?

[the blue plumber 764]

On 5 April 1902, during the 1902 British Home Championship match between Scotland and England, the back of the newly built West Tribune Stand 55°51′12″N 4°18′38″W / 55.85339°N 4.31054°W / 55.85339; -4.31054 collapsed due to heavy rainfall the previous night. Hundreds of supporters fell up to 40 feet (12 m) to the ground below. 25 people died and 517 were injured.[1]The second major incident occurred on 2 January 1971 at the end of an Old Firm game. After 89 minutes of scoreless football Celtic took a 0–1 lead and many Rangers supporters left the stadium. However, in the last seconds of stoppage time, Colin Stein scored an equaliser for Rangers.

As the crowd was leaving the ground, barriers on Stairway 18 gave way causing a massive chain-reaction pile-up of spectators. The tragedy resulted in the loss of 66 lives, including many children - five of them schoolmates from the town of Markinch in Fife. Most of the deaths were caused by compressive asphyxia, with bodies being stacked up to six feet deep in the area. Over 200 other fans were injured.

The statue of John Greig commemorates those killed in the 1971 Ibrox tragedy

Initially there was speculation that some fans left the ground slightly early when Celtic scored, but then turned back when they heard the crowd cheering when Stein scored the equaliser, colliding with fans leaving the ground when the match ended.[3] The official inquiry into the disaster indicated that there was no truth in this hypothesis, however, as all the spectators were going in the same direction at the time of the collapse.[3]

[edit]

[Emerson 2]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/a-national-tragedy-ibrox-disaster-1902-1.878072

26 mentioned here and most other reports (Other than Wiki above obviously)

[Ibroxblue 122]

It's often said that the 1971 disaster occurred on Stairway 13 but 13 wasn't the number of the stairway. It was the number of the passageway leading up the terracing towards the stairway. (It's possible that some folk called it stairway 13 but that wouldn't have been correct.) I don't know where "Stairway 18" above comes from - I suspect it's a mistake.

[dukestreetsoup 69]

This may not be correct but something in my head tells me 25 died at the scene and one died a few days later from their injuries.

Not sure why I think thats correct but might be a reason for the differing stories.

[caseyjones 3,009]

This may not be correct but something in my head tells me 25 died at the scene and one died a few days later from their injuries.

Not sure why I think thats correct but might be a reason for the differing stories.

That's my recollection of it too.

[caseyjones 3,009]

I don't normally trust the official site, but David Mason is usually spot on, and they say that 26 perished in the 1902 tragedy.

http://www.rangers.co.uk/page/Ibrox/0,,5,00.html

[Jonnyboyrfc 296]

This may not be correct but something in my head tells me 25 died at the scene and one died a few days later from their injuries.

Not sure why I think thats correct but might be a reason for the differing stories.

Sounds about right

[caseyjones 3,009]

An image which shows what happened. It says 25 died, but there does seem to have been some confusion.