Two years before the FIFA was born, it had already happened a tragedy on the football stages amateur. On April 5, 1902, in Glasgow, in the northwest of the island of Great Britain, a game between England and Scotland ended in disaster.
It is said that there were thousands of fans in the stands, that that version of the first international classic for national teams looked phenomenal, but that the night before it had rained incessantly and the wooden structure of the Ibrox stadium was suffering.
Far from being a concern at the time, the match began and, in the midst of the effusiveness of the match, the tribune of the soccer temple went to the floor.
Although the seriousness of the matter caused the game to be stopped for at least twenty minutes, the match continued unusually due to logistical disposition. The idea was that the fans did not go out in a flock and hinder the rescue teams that assisted those affected. Nobody currently remembers that the match ended in a draw. What happened is remembered as the first Ibrox tragedy. Not the last.
The second Ibrox tragedy
The explosive rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, in Scotland, had one of the saddest episodes in British football in the confrontation of January 2, 1971: The second Ibrox tragedy.
That night, after the arch-rivals had gone more than 80 minutes without a goal, a Celtic strike dashed the hopes of some Rangers fans who began leaving the stadium. But, as this confrontation is a matter of faith, with a few seconds to go the ‘Ger’ team managed to draw.
When the ball hit the net, those who were leaving came back wild to celebrate. In its outpost, the beginning of the catastrophe. Between shoves and shouts, thousands of fans fell down the rows of stairs 13 of the Ibrox stadium. It has been said that a man carrying a minor on his shoulders lost his balance and precipitated the fall of hundreds who ended up piled against the walls.
The official report ruled that this story cannot be real. Fifty years later, the 66 dead and more than 200 injured seem to be the only certainty.
Tragedy of doors 11 and 12
The lands of Latin America have not been spared from witnessing tragedies of this type. In 1944, during a match between River Plate and San Lorenzonine fans died after being immersed in a crowd that was crushed against the walls of Gate 11 of the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.
And although its effects were terrible, incredibly, 24 years later, that fatality was repeated and with worse consequences.
On June 23, 1968, River Plate met Boca Juniors at the Monumental Stadium. The stories tell that the match ended in a boring 0-0 and that the news was given in the stands. 71 Boca fans, mostly minors, were crushed at the entrance to Gate 12 and, unfortunately, died.
“‘The gate was closed’ ‘There was already a dictatorship, it had to be the police’, ‘Someone put up the lockers and prevented the exit’ ‘That got out of control by itself'”, it has been said. 53 years later, it is still not known. The only irrefutable thing is that the lives of those 71 fans were lost because of some of those absurdities. Today their names are immortalized on a commemorative plaque in a corridor of The Bombonera.
“Victims of Gate 12”, the letterhead says.
“Victims who had no reparation”, cry the people.
Heysel’s tragedy
The amazing footballing rise of Liverpool that he commanded bill shanklyinherited Bob Paisley and assumed Joe Fagan ended in an unusual catastrophe on May 29, 1985: Heysel’s tragedy.
In the preview of the European Cup final against Juventus, at the Heysel stadium, in the Belgian city of Brussels, the most radical fans of both teams unleashed an avalanche that ended in a lack of control full of aggressions.
The balance was 600 wounded and 39 dead.. Due to this immense disaster, the Belgian government declared a state of siege in its capital. Instead, UEFA, true to form, decided to let the match go ahead because it reportedly feared the suspension would trigger worse reactions.
The match ended one-nil with an Italian victory thanks to a sad penalty goal from michel platini when there were still corpses in the stands. Finally, after twisting the arm at the beginning, UEFA sanctioned the English teams with 5 years without participating in international cups. He initially punished Liverpool with 10 years, but later ended up reducing his sentence to just 6.
Hillsborough tragedy
The unease of the Anfield men was repeated just four years later. On 15 April 1989, during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool fans literally packed sheffield stadium.
The overcrowding was evident and, even so, the authorities let the fans overcrowd in the stands. That day, in a matter of minutes, hundreds of people ended up crushed against the fences of the stadium. The books speak of 96 dead, almost 800 injured, and thousands of fans with sequels forever. As in Heysel, the catastrophe took the name of the host stadium. The Hillsborough tragedy.
At first, Liverpool, its fans and the victims themselves, were singled out as the main culprits in official reports and in the coverage of local newspapers. However, over time, the investigation was reopened and it was determined that the police operation was the main culprit. The conclusion was that Margaret Thatcher’s government he had been, in a certain way, one more accomplice for his logistical expletives.
That event led to the UK government ordering the application of the well-known ‘Taylor Report’ to increase security in stadiums by combating Hooligans.
The fateful night forever marked the history of the ‘Red’ team. Today, the back of his T-shirt collar contains a number 96 framed by a pair of flares. Its fire keeps alive the memory of those who died prey to lack of control.
ANDRES FELIPE BALAGUERA SARMIENTO
SPORTS
TIME
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