By the 89th minute, it seemed as though the match would end in stalemate, with each team still seeking their first goal of 1971. And then came an intense spell of footballing madness, one that would have terrible repercussions.
The ball fell to Celtic’s Bobby Lennox. From twenty yards, the ‘Buzzbomb’ fired a powerful shot that Gerhardt Neef in the home goal touched onto the bar. As it rebounded, Jimmy Johnstone was there to head home and surely give the Celts both points.
There was bedlam in the Celtic end and gloom for those fans wearing blue. In their thousands, they began to depart the stadium having had a very Unhappy New Year. But then things quickly and unexpectedly changed.
From kick-off, Rangers won a free-kick. The ball was thrown into the Celtic box and in a melee, a Derek Johnstone attempt somehow found its way to Colin Stein. The Ibrox forward knocked home the ball to change the direction of cheers in the ground.
Seconds later, the final whistle sounded. Those backing the Celts were disappointed at having thrown away the chance of victory whilst the Rangers fans celebrated their late equaliser. However, that was not the case in the entire ground.
Stairway 13 at Ibrox – the location where two Rangers fans were killed in a crush in 1961 – has since become synonymous with this Ibrox Disaster. On this day, the stairway was full of fans who left after seeing Jimmy Johnstone’s seemingly match-winning goal.
At some point, one of those supporters lost their footing and began to fall. This triggered a tragic chain reaction that saw others fall too, causing a huge crush as fans were piled on top of one another. So heavy was the weight of humanity that even crush barriers could not withstand the pressure. One policeman later said the scene was akin to “a battlefield.”
55years on and all both sets of supporters are worried about is the result of a game between two poor teams.
R I P.
Hail Hail.