Faifley to remember local men who sadly lost their lives in the Ibrox disaster.

[LochendBilly 8,413]

"THE Faifley community will come together this weekend to pay tribute to three local men who lost their lives in the 1971 Ibrox disaster.

George Adams, Charles Dougan and John Gardiner will be remembered in a plaque, which will be fitted at the site of the former Doublet Bar.

The pub, which was on Milldam Road, was the location from where the local Rangers supporters’ bus would leave for matches.

Children and adults are set to gather at the Father and Son Statue at 11.15am on Saturday, while Reverend Gregor McIntyre of Faifley Parish Church will say some words in remembrance.

Councillor Jim Finn is among those who will be in attendance at the event and he praised the community for rallying round to organise an important tribute.

He told the Post: “I think it’s a good idea. They’re not forgotten. A guy across the road from me, when I stayed on Faifley Road, was killed in the Ibrox disaster. I was only young at the time.

“These things have got to be remembered. They were human beings. It didn’t matter whether they supported Rangers or celtic, or what religion they were, they were out on a Saturday enjoying a game of football and tragedy happened.

“They were innocent people. It’s got to be remembered. It says a lot about the Faifley community because they’re not all Rangers supporters. They’re pulling together to remember these things.”

The project to leave the permanent tribute left to the men was taken on by Faifley Community Council, after it had been suggested by a group of friends.

And now the three men from Faifley, who have their names etched on a memorial at the Ibrox Stadium, will be remembered at home.

The tragedy, which took place on January 2, 1971, saw 66 people lose their lives in a crush at the end of a match with celtic and another 200 people suffer injuries.

It happened at Stairwell 13, an exit stairway at Rangers’ stadium, then known as Ibrox Park, and was considered one of the worst British football tragedies until the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield in 1989."

[rfc_watp 1,503]

Brilliant stuff and well done to the people who made this happen. 

I didn't realise 3 of the victims were from the area. 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

I would of went down to this but travelling back up north for work on Thursday morning.hope there is a good turnout to remember the three local men who lost their life. To absent friends

[William McBeath 2,154]

Nice touch. Shame it doesn't say what day it's on as I'm home this weekend and have a sister in the area, so might have tried to get along. Anyone know?

Also thought the disaster was the worse until Hillsborough. Is it not also Ibrox Park or stadium? Never heard of Rangers stadium. Where's this article from op? It's like the author is foreign.

Hope they get a good turn out. Nice to see a council doing something like this.

[plumbGER 24,518]

This is nice fitting tribute to the lives lost, i had no idea where Faifley was so like i do with everything i googled it and had a wee read about the place and it's history. It looks like it has lost a lot of it's tradition and shrunk in size to be swallowed up by a neighbouring place so it's good the peoole there are remembering these Bears.

[LochendBilly 8,413]

6 minutes ago, William McBeath said:

Nice touch. Shame it doesn't say what day it's on as I'm home this weekend and have a sister in the area, so might have tried to get along. Anyone know?

Also thought the disaster was the worse until Hillsborough. Is it not also Ibrox Park or stadium? Never heard of Rangers stadium. Where's this article from op? It's like the author is foreign.

Hope they get a good turn out. Nice to see a council doing something like this.

I will try find out what day mate, it's the local community council behind it, not the local authority so no surprise there. I lifted it from the Clydebank Post which is not known for accuracy.  http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/16121471.Faifley_community_to_remember_local_men_who_died_in_Ibrox_Disaster/

[rfc_watp 1,503]

20 minutes ago, William McBeath said:

Nice touch. Shame it doesn't say what day it's on as I'm home this weekend and have a sister in the area, so might have tried to get along. Anyone know?

Also thought the disaster was the worse until Hillsborough. Is it not also Ibrox Park or stadium? Never heard of Rangers stadium. Where's this article from op? It's like the author is foreign.

Hope they get a good turn out. Nice to see a council doing something like this.

Meeting 11am for an 1130am start on Saturday mate.

[Bobby Hume 13,086]

Excellent work from the local Community Council of Faifley .... a fitting permanent tribute to three local lads who never made it home that fateful night.

??

[LochendBilly 8,413]

3 minutes ago, rfc_watp said:

Meeting 11am for an 1130am start on Saturday mate.

Spot on mate, just had that confirmed.

[William McBeath 2,154]

31 minutes ago, LochendBilly said:

I will try find out what day mate, it's the local community council behind it, not the local authority so no surprise there. I lifted it from the Clydebank Post which is not known for accuracy.  http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/16121471.Faifley_community_to_remember_local_men_who_died_in_Ibrox_Disaster/

I remember that wee paper. Always full of stories about crimes in Yoker instead of about the cunts up to shite in Clydebank. Must not like the Glasgow boys or something 

Or maybe Yoker has more nutters than I remember lol

[William McBeath 2,154]

29 minutes ago, rfc_watp said:

Meeting 11am for an 1130am start on Saturday mate.

Cheers mate. Hopefully get along as they deserve a decent turn out.

[bornabear 6,202]

The 66 will never be forgotten.

.

 

[tango 341]

This memorial has been nearly a year in the making and has been supported by all of the people of the area including the local taigs bus , one of their members has been involved from the start of the project . I live down in Duntocher so will definitely be in attendance,  the 66 should never be forgotten ??

[Thermopylae 15,286]

For me the new year old firm game is very different because of the 66 ... never forgotten 

[LochendBilly 8,413]

3 hours ago, tango said:

This memorial has been nearly a year in the making and has been supported by all of the people of the area including the local taigs bus , one of their members has been involved from the start of the project . I live down in Duntocher so will definitely be in attendance,  the 66 should never be forgotten ??

Likewise neighbour, i'm sure there will be a good turnout for this. RIP The 66

[McEwan's Lager 30,524]

6 hours ago, William McBeath said:

Nice touch. Shame it doesn't say what day it's on as I'm home this weekend and have a sister in the area, so might have tried to get along. Anyone know?

Also thought the disaster was the worse until Hillsborough. Is it not also Ibrox Park or stadium? Never heard of Rangers stadium. Where's this article from op? It's like the author is foreign.

Hope they get a good turn out. Nice to see a council doing something like this.

It says "Rangers' stadium".

As in the stadium belongs to Rangers.

If he had got it wrong and thought the stadium was called that in the article it would have been "Rangers' Stadium".

 

On a side note, if you read programmes from the 50s and 60s the ground is often referred to as "The Stadium" in the notes. Which I quite like.

Here's an example of it in the programme against Thirds from 50/51 season:

 

[McEwan's Lager 30,524]

But back on track this is brilliant to see.

Won't make it up there for Saturday but will definitely be up to have a look in the near future. 

[William McBeath 2,154]

2 hours ago, McEwan's Lager said:

It says "Rangers' stadium".

As in the stadium belongs to Rangers.

If he had got it wrong and thought the stadium was called that in the article it would have been "Rangers' Stadium".

 

On a side note, if you read programmes from the 50s and 60s the ground is often referred to as "The Stadium" in the notes. Which I quite like.

Here's an example of it in the programme against Thirds from 50/51 season:

 

33 years unbeaten at home. Same old Rangers, always winning 

Aye yer right about the stadium too. Am I right in thinking our disaster was the worse before Hillsborough? Can't even think of any others that came close.

[William McBeath 2,154]

2 hours ago, McEwan's Lager said:

But back on track this is brilliant to see.

Won't make it up there for Saturday but will definitely be up to have a look in the near future. 

Aye, think I'll miss it too as my sister is working so would be a bit of a trek from where I'll be staying the weekend. Thinking about taking the weans to the pictures or that Scotcart though so might still make it and take them afterwards. Good way to teach kids to respect our past. Same with things like remembrence day. Its unbelievable the sacrifices our forefathers made and yet I dont think a lot of people do anything. Even if Im in the house I have them standing to attention in front of the TV lol. It's the least we should do for all them heroes. Would be nice for the family members of these Rangers boys if a decent wee group was there to pay their respects. I've wondered about them quite a few times over the years since being told about it as a wean. We must all be the same whether we were alive or not. Shame the club isn't sending someone. Maybe they don't even know right enough as I'd be strong about things like this if I was running the place and we are usually top class when it comes to honouring our past and people. Any idea if the club knows mate as there is still time to get something sorted? Would probably mean the world to the family.

If they don't know could any social media bears send them a tweet or whatever way people talk to them these days?

[tango 341]

[LochendBilly 8,413]

Another piece in The Clydebank post from a local councillor.

"On Saturday morning, I was in attendance at a very special and moving event in Faifley along with more than 150 others.

This event, highlighted in last week’s Post and covered by them on the day, was organised by Faifley Community Council and has been two years in the making (since the Faifley Community Council was reformed in fact).

It was to mark the deaths of three local men who left the Doublet public house on January 2, 1971 to attend a Rangers v celtic football match and were to perish when staircase 13 collapsed and they died alongside 63 other football fans in a tragedy remembered today as the Ibrox Disaster. More than 200 other fans were injured on that day.

George Adams, 43, Charles Dougan, 31, and John Gardiner, 32, left Faifley on that fateful day and never returned home.

Following the sale and demolition of the Doublet Public House over the last two years, a member of the Hardgate celtic Supporters Club, John Maxwell, was in discussion with a number of people who had drank in the bar, where the local Rangers Supporters Club bus left from, about how George, John and Charles were remembered and how they could be honoured in some way by the local community.

John was encouraged to speak to Claire Gallagher, chairperson of Faifley Community Council, and the idea was born.

All the members of the community council agreed that something should be done and a plaque was commissioned to remember the tragedy and the affect it had on the families and the community.

Faifley Housing Association, who owns the land opposite the Doublet site, readily gave permission for the plaque to be installed.

Members of the extended families were present on the day, including Mr Dougan’s son who had crossed the Atlantic for a family wedding and was rather fortuitously going to be in the area to visit his mum.

I would like to think it was divine intervention. I spoke to Mrs Dougan after the service about how my father, Danny, was at Ibrox that day as a St John’s Ambulance first aider and had been a boilermaker, the same profession as her husband Charles. A very small world.

My thoughts and prayers with the Adams, Gardiner and Dougan families. #LestWeForget "