On 9th March 1946, over 85,000 people piled into Burnden Park.
Eager football fans had gathered at Bolton Wanderers’ former home ground for the club’s highly-anticipated second-leg clash against Stoke City in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup, but not long after kick-off, the crowd began spilling onto the pitch and the game was temporarily stopped as the pitch was cleared.
However, at this time, two barriers collapsed and the crowd fell forward, crushing those underneath.
The crush resulted in injuries to hundreds of Bolton fans and the devastating deaths of 33 people, making it the deadliest stadium-related disaster in British history, until the Ibrox Park disaster in 1971.
The disaster happened at the ‘Railway End’ of the ground – which closed in 1997 – where, in common with many other post-war grounds, facilities were rudimentary and the bank was crude, with just dirt and odd flagstones for steps, and although there was room towards the Burnden side of the ground, part of the stand had been requisitioned by the Ministry of Supply and had not yet been returned to normal use following the war.
ADVERTISEMENT
Additionally, the turnstiles at the east end of the Railway Embankment – which adjoined the Burnden Stand – had also been closed since 1940.
As was common practice back then, fans paid at the turnstiles to enter, rather than buy tickets beforehand, but as a result of this, the end became packed and over capacity and it was decided to close the turnstiles at 2:40pm.
ADVERTISEMENT
This did not stop more people entering the ground though.
Bolton News / Bolton Council
Desperate to catch a glimpse of the game, people began climbing in from the railway, climbing over the closed turnstiles and, when a locked gate was opened, entering through it. This lead to pressure from the ‘Railway End’ and meant that many fans were “inexorably pushed” along the side of the pitch, around the far end and eventually right out of the ground, before inevitably spilling onto the pitch itself.
Once the pitch was cleared, the game was restarted, but quickly halted again when a police officer came onto the pitch to speak to the referee to inform him there had been a fatality.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite this, the game was still allowed to continue under what were described as “sickening” circumstances.
It ended in a goalless draw.
But the score meant nothing in light of the tragic event, which is still known to the people of Bolton and Stoke, the wider Greater Manchester community and football fans across the globe as one of the “greatest tragedies in football history”.
The disaster directly lead to a subsequent official report published by lawyer and MP, Moelwyn Hughes, which recommended more rigorous control of crowd sizes, and a conference on the licensing and regulation of sports grounds where it was recommended that, as a voluntary code, local authorities should inspect grounds with a capacity of 10,000 spectators. It was also agreed safety limits should be in place for grounds of more than 25,000 capacity, turnstiles should mechanically record spectator numbers, and grounds should have internal telephone systems.
The aftermath of the event may have meant that positive, necessary and life-saving change was brought about for the future, but tragedy still remains and the victims of that dreadful day in 1946 will nevertheless, always be remembered.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today, 75 years on, Bolton Wanderers will mark this “poignant day” in history.
? Today is a poignant day in the history of Bolton Wanderers Football Club.
75 years ago, 33 supporters attended a match at Burnden Park and never returned home. We shall remember them. pic.twitter.com/VzF3NrfEWD
When the team faces Cambridge United in a League Two clash at their home ground – the University of Bolton Stadium – this evening, a minute’s silence will be observed and the players will wear black armbands.
The club is also releasing a series of videos about the disaster on their social media channels during the day, a book of remembrance will be displayed outside the ground and a special matchday programme has been produced to mark the anniversary.
Outside the ground, the flags will fly at half mast and wreaths will be laid before the game kicks off.
The current Bolton squad are well-aware of the disaster’s significance on its 75th anniversary, with Wanderers manager, Ian Evatt, aiming to mark the occasion with a win, saying: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking to think that people went to watch a football match and didn’t go home again.
ADVERTISEMENT
“That is really, really heartbreaking and sad.”
Bolton Wanderers
He continued: “For the 75th anniversary, we want to go out there and perform to the level to give them the respect and the memory that they deserve and that’s as far as it goes.
“We understand the importance of it, we understand the importance of the occasion, and we want to go out there and win. The players are all aware of it, of course… [and] want to go out there and perform to the best levels they can for a number of reasons, and that is the main reason.
“We can’t forget and we never will forget.
“Those 33 names will live long in the memory of this football club as part of our existence and rightly so”.
Manchester United’s Old Trafford regeneration project backed by UK government
Danny Jones
Manchester United have officially received government backing for the redevelopment of their stadium and the wider regeneration of the surrounding Old Trafford area.
One of the first things that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS Group made a priority after acquiring their minority stake in the club was to bring the home ground up to standard and it looks as though that rather large task is now moving in the right direction.
With Chancellor Rachel Reeves dubbing the Old Trafford Regeneration Project as “a shining example” of the Labour plans to promote economic growth, Man United now have the full blessing of the government ahead of the real work beginning.
Liaising with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford Council specifically to bring plans to fruition, the Old Trafford area as we know is set to be transformed significantly, with a new ‘Wembley of the North’ being the key component of the project.
ℹ️ The Old Trafford Regeneration Project has been backed by the government.#MUFC
The backing of the government means that beyond the club simply paying to redevelop the stadium itself, this will allow for other aspects such as improved transport infrastructure, housing and new businesses to be created as part of Old Trafford’s regeneration.
It’s also worth noting that no public money is on the table at present, with Ratcliffe, the Glazers and co. expected to foot the bill for all facets.
Reacting to the official statement by the UK Treasury, CEO Omar Berrada said: “The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again.
“We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council.
If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of.”
This might not be Man United’s home forever. (Credit: The Manc Group)
As for the Mayor of Greater Manchester Mayor himself – who was appointed as a key figure on the Old Trafford Regeneration Taskforce – Andy Burnham went on to add: “With our devolved powers we’re mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.
“We look forward to working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity for our rail network and unlock massive regeneration potential”, he continued, insisting that it will lead to “benefits across the whole of the North.”
Although it still remains unconfirmed whether or not the existing Old Trafford structure will be renovated – which would see an increased capacity of around 87,000 – or whether an entirely new 100k-seater stadium will be built instead, though the most recent fan survey seemed to favour the latter.
After fans all over the world were invited to create their own jersey designs using artificial intelligence back in December, with literally thousands of entries being submitted, the club now has its shortlist and it’s the fans who have the power to pick the winner.
Inviting Cityzens to have the final say this week, the intake has now been whittled down to just 10 different options – but which one tickles your fancy, Blues?…
There are no traditional red/yellow and black striped numbers to pick from this time around – both this year’s away kit and the 23/24 strips have had that covered of late – but there are some pretty classic combos that have been put together.
Alternatively, there are plenty more adventurous creations that have made the cut thus far.
Put together using Puma’s creator software, this initiative has launched alongside the club’s first fully-fledged generative AI goalkeeper kit which will debut this weekend.
Designed by goalkeeping duo Ederson and Stefan Ortega, as well as rising youngster Rico Lewis, the limited edition creation will be available exclusively in-store from the official City Stores at Etihad and Manchester Arndale.
Our limited edition PUMA AI Creator goalkeeper shirt, available as a CityStore (Stadium & Arndale) exclusive tomorrow, 25th January.
What do you make of it and, more importantly, which of the third kits do you like the look of best?
Fans have until 23:59 GMT on Wednesday, 29 January to pick their favourite but you best be happy with your decision because it will be the matchday third kit for a full year.
The winner will be chosen this summer ahead of not the upcoming campaign but the following season.
You can cast your ballot and choose your future City third kit HERE.
The Manc -
9th March 2021 
