Just reading about this terrible tragedy. First time I had heard about it.
1946. FA Cup match between Bolton and Stoke. The ground held 65,000, but 85,000 turned up and 33 people were crushed to death.
Says the extra fans were probably due to it being just after the war, games having been suspended during it. Also seems that many wanted to see the great Stanley Matthews in action.
Anyway, 33 people were crushed to death and many of the dead bodies were laid out behind the goals and the game continued with the dead bodies just lying there. Reasoning being, they thought abandoning the match might have caused even bigger problems.
Yes saw an item on news yesterday re this. A forgotten tragedy. The interview with the old lady who had been there was v moving. With coeds like that you forget just how popular football was
First time for me as well Otis shocked it hasn't been talked about more often ? Playing on with dead bodies lying there ! Talking at the weekend to a fellow City fan who was like me in the Leppings Lane end for our 87 Cup match v Wednesday and feeling hemmed in and being crushed especially when we scored.We know the tragic events that followed but it could well have been us that day.What a tragic story though.