Marking the 40th Anniversary of Ibrox Disaster

2nd January 2011 seen the 40th Anniversary of the Ibrox Stadium Disaster where 66 fans died as a result of a crush on Stairway 13 after the new year game between Rangers & Celtic. 65 males and one female died that day.

Margaret Ferguson (18)
Robert Maxwell (15)
Robert McAdam (36)
James Sibbald (28)
Hugh Addie (33)
John Neil (29)
James Rae (19)
David Duff (23)
James Trainer (20)
John Gardiner (32)
Mason Phillip (14)
John McLeay (23)
Richard McLeay (28)
Thomas Grant (16)
Nigel Pickup (8)
Peter Easton (13)
Brian Todd (14)
Robert Mulholland (16)
Russell Morgan (14)
Matthew Reid (49)
Charles Livingston (30)
John Semple (18)
Brian Hutchinson (16)
James Grey (37)
Alex McIntyre (29)
Charles Dougan (31)
Thomas Melville (17)
George Irwin (22)
George Findlay (21)
David McGhee (14)
Walter Raeburn (36)
Walter Shields (15)
John Jeffrey (16)
James McGovern (24)
James Mair (19)
George Adams (43)
Ian Hunter (14)
John Buchanan (32)
David Anderson (45)
Russell Malcolm (16)
Thomas Stirling (16)
Alexander Orr (16)
Robert Rae (25)
George Wilson (15)
Thomas McRobbie (17)
William Somerhill (17)
John Crawford (23)
Donald McPherson (30)
Francis Dover (16)
Adam Henderson (42)
Douglas Morrison (15)
Thomas Dickson (32)
Ronald Paton (14)
Robert Cairns (17)
Peter Wright (31)
Donald Sutherland (14)
Duncan McBrearty (17)
Ian Frew (21)
Robert Grant (21)
William Shaw (30)
Richard Barke (15)
Robert Carrigan (13)
Peter Farries (26)
Charles Stirling (20)
Andrew Lindsay (18)
George Smith (40)

It is still to this day talked about that the goal from Colin Stein caused the crush as people tried to get back up the stairway. This WAS proved untrue at the inquiry after the disaster.

To mark the 40th anniversary Rangers Supporters via the internet fundraised to honour the 66 fans who died that day in 1971.

The first project by 2 dedicated men from Fife sought to honour the 5 lads from Markinch who died in the tragedy by way of a memorial bench in Markinch Churchyard, restoring the memorial stone that sits at the end of the street where the teenagers stayed and to purchase trophies and a memorial plaque for the school that the boys attended. As well as 5 trees and restore the landscaping around the memorial stone. This project raised over £5000 through donations from all over the world online and all the aims of the fund have been met and it also saw contact made with some of the remaining families like Ronald Patons family who were delighted with the tributes paid to their son and his friends. A tribute has also been made to the youngest victim aged 8 in the disaster Nigel Pickup.

A further project by me Colin Shearer seen the birth of the Margaret Ferguson Memorial Fund in the name of the only female to die in the Ibrox Disaster, she was 18 years old.

The aims of the fund were

to place a memorial bench in the cemetery where she is buried, restore the original supporters memorial stone from 1971 and place a new memorial stone at her grave

Place a memorial stone at the 2 brothers Richard & John McLeay from Slamannans grave who died in the disaster.

To place a memorial bench in the cemetery where 3 of the 4 lads from Kirkintilloch are buried.

To start an Absent Friends grove at Treesforlife.org.uk which is restoring the caledonian forest in the highlands of Scotland and plant 66 trees plus a tree for every victim of the earlier tragedies at Ibrox. The principle of the grove is similar to the Ibrox Brick Panels where a tree can be donated for any occassion and a message/dedication left.

http://tinyurl.com/IbroxGrove

The McLeay family and the remaining sister of Margaret Ferguson are delighted that people want to remember and pay tribute to their loved ones.

The following is from Annette Gibb, the neice of Margaret Ferguson.....

My name is Annette and l have been asked by my mum Mary Gibb who is the big sister of Margaret Ferguson to thank everyone for their donations. My mum said that everyone remembers each year the Ibrox Disaster but to our family and we would guess all the other victims families every day is Ibrox Disaster day as there is not a day goes by we do not think of our loved ones who were so tragically taken from us 40yrs ago. I was 5yrs old when my aunty Margaret died and l will always have that memory of growing up with a feeling of sadness that echoed through our home and l am sorry to say still does.

The Memorial Fund set up to erect a memorial bench at her grave was a wonderful gesture and once again the family of the late Margaret Ferguson who died so tragically at the Ibrox Disaster on the 2nd January 1971 would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone for their kind donations. Annette.

A further memorial fund came about due to another Rangers fan Joe Burke a serving soldier in 2Scots who wanted to mark the life of Robert Mulholland who lived locally in Drumchapel having in Partick. Robert was 16 when he died at Ibrox and due to donations from around the world there is now a memorial bench bearing Roberts name in Victoria Park,Glasgow. The dedication ceremony was attended by relatives and fellow supporters as well as representatives from Rangers FC led by Gordon Smith. Another memorial was unveiled to Roberts memory in December 2011 at Jedworth Avenue,Drumchapel attended by supporters and representatives from Rangers FC.

It is important that the remaining families know how the support still care about their loved ones and what happened in 1971 at Ibrox. We take their spirit wherever Rangers play especially at Ibrox where we have a 5 star stadium that we can go to in safety because of the sacrifice of those 66 souls.

As long as there is memory those 66 brave fans will live on forever more.

Sad was the parting, no one can tell,
So sudden on earth the sorrow fell;
The blow was hard, the shock severe,
To part with ones We loved so dear.
Dearer still as years depart
Their memory lives within our hearts.