A rare set of postcards describing a man's experience of the Ibrox disaster in 1902 is due to be auctioned.
A rare set of postcards describing a man's experience of the Ibrox disaster in 1902 has failed to sell at auction.
The postcards, from a German man living in Glasgow, were sent to his family in Altona on 7 April, two days after a new stand collapsed claiming 25 lives.
The postcards, from a German man living in Glasgow, were sent to his family in Altona on 7 April, two days after a new stand collapsed claiming 25 lives.
The incident, in which a further 517 people were injured, happened during a game between Scotland and England.
The incident, in which a further 517 people were injured, happened during a game between Scotland and England.
The man describes a "horrific" accident where "the people at the front were crushed against some railings".
The man describes a "horrific" accident where "the people at the front were crushed against some railings".
Writing his narrative in old-fashioned German script on a series of five postcards, he begins with chit chat asking Mimi about "the business of her tooth" and inquiring about his parents' health.
The postcards had been expected to fetch between £600 and £800.
He then goes on to describe events at the "big football match", which he attended with his landlord and doctor.
London auctioneer Graham Budd confirmed that the lot had failed to reach its reserve price.
"I had never seen such a crowd of people," he said. "There was an accident - it was a bit horrific. First of all the people at the back pushed forwards, so that the people at the front were crushed against some railings and many fainted," he said. One man, who had fallen 50ft, even got up again and watched the match through to the end Eyewitness account
'Just unfortunate'
He explained how the spectator area - the newly built West Tribune Stand - rose very high up and was built "like a staircase" - "a bit like a spectator area in Spain for bull-fighting".
"It's disappointing as it was a very interesting lot which had a lot of history," he said.
"You can imagine just how terrible it seemed," he said. "It was a bit like a hangar. Shortly before the start of the football match the upper part of the terraces collapsed and a crowd of spectators fell through the construction about 50ft high, 99 steps, each step was three inches high. So you can imagine just how high it was.
"It's just unfortunate there wasn't the interest - maybe it was to do with the current climate.
"Of course then there was terrible confusion and the crowd surged forward onto the pitch, where play should have gone on, so that the game was almost totally disrupted and mounted police had to keep order. A great many were injured. To date two are dead and about 300 injured."
"But I'm sure that in the future it will be put back on the market and in better times will sell for the asking price."
The man added: "We were not standing far from it all. However, the people here take sport too seriously and first of all little notice was taken. One man, who had fallen 50ft, even got up again and watched the match through to the end.
"But this man, although he picked himself up straightaway, seemed afterwards to be very ill.
"That is the last time I shall go to a football match."
Second tragedy
The stand at the time consisted of wooden terracing supported by a steel girder frame. Following the accident, such frameworks were discredited and replaced throughout the UK by terracing supported by earthworks or reinforced concrete.
The tragedy happened after 51 minutes of the match which was played to a conclusion but subsequently declared void by the two football associations. All proceeds of the replayed match at Villa Park, Birmingham, on 3 May, 1902, were donated to the disaster fund.
However, history repeated itself on 2 January 1971 when stairway 13 at Ibrox collapsed as the crowd were exiting the stadium following an Old Firm game. A total of 66 people lost their lives, including many children.
The postcards, which are being auctioned by Graham Budd Auctions in London, are from a rare and early set published by William Lyon in 1902 featuring artist-drawn illustrations of ping-pong, the imagery being interpretations of Shakespearean quotations.
The sixth card in the series has been added to the lot to form a complete set. It is thought the original correspondence may well have run to the lost sixth card as there is no apparent finality and signing off.
The postcards are expected to fetch between £600 and £800.
