Football (soccer) is one of the most popular of the sports around the world. However, it also holds the distinction of having the highest number of disasters to its name. The incidents that have occurred during soccer have been mainly due to the hooliganism of the spectators and the inability of the stadiums to hold the overwhelming number of spectators. Several big matches have ended in tragedy due to the hooliganism of the spectators.
Here is a description of the top ten soccer disasters.
10. Puerta 12 Tragedy
While the exact reason for the occurrence of the incident is not clear, the disaster occurred due to a stampede that killed more than 70 people. These people were crushed to death when they were moving towards a closed exit when the match had ended. The incident took place in 1968 in the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
9. Burnden Park Disaster
The incident occurred during the game between Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers when a wall collapsed trapping several people under it. While 33 people died because of the crushing of the wall and the ensuing stampede, more than 400 people were injured. The incident was caused due to the force of the 20,000 fans who tried to break their way in to the stadium which already had more than 85,000 people.
8. The Luzhniki Disaster
Occurring at the Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russia in the year 1982, the Luzhniki disaster took the lives of more than 66 people. The last minute goal by FC Spartak compelled the fans leaving the stadium to return to witness the goal. The returning of the fans led to confusion and colliding with those leaving the ground, resulting in a stampede that claimed the lives of 66 people. Unofficially the number of those died stands at 340.
7. The Guatemala Disaster
The incident occurred in 1996 in Guatemala when more than 80 died due to the stumbling of the fans down the stairs. It was reported that the stadium had more spectators than it could hold and therefore, the commotion, shoving and pushing led to the fall of several people. While 80 people died, more than 100 fans were injured in the incident.
6. The Ibrox Disaster
The Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland has not witnessed just one but three soccer disasters. While two of these disasters were minor ones, the one that occurred in 1971 claimed the most number of lives which stands at 66. Just minutes before the completion of the match, fans of the Rangers started leaving the ground. Barriers on the Stairway 13 gave way leading to the death of 66 people who toppled one on top of the other.
5. Bradford City Fire Disaster
The cause of this disaster was fire which accidentally started when a spectator threw a lighted cigarette on a trash that had collected under the terrace seat over the years. Even after getting the stadium cleared on the sight of smoke, the fire took the lives of 56 people who died of toxic smoke that engulfed the narrow corridor towards the back. The incident took place in 1985 in Bradford, England and is a grim reminder of the times when stadiums were made of wooden structures.
4. Ghana Disaster
Cited as one of the worst soccer disasters to have occurred in the history of African soccer, the Ghana disaster in 2001 claimed the lives of more than 125 people. While the match ended peacefully, it was the tearing of the seats by the fans that angered the South African police who fired tear gas at the spectators. This led to confusion and people tried to get out of the way killing 125 people in the chaos.
3. The English FA Cup disaster
Occurring in 1989, the English FA Cup disaster took place in England when more than 100 people were crushed to death when a crowd surge pushed the packed fans against the barriers. Several people who had been standing and sitting were crushed to death when they were pressed against the barriers. A makeshift field hospital was made at the pitch to provide instant aid to those injured in the incident.
2. The Orkney Disaster
The disaster took place in 1991 in South Africa during a soccer match between two football clubs of the country. After a deadly attack by a fan of one of the clubs on another fan, there occurred a massive stampede resulting in the death of 42 people. Although the match was cited to be “friendly”, the fans were certainly not at all friendly leading to the tragic death of so many people.
1. The Heysel Stadium Disaster
Occurring at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium the Heysel disaster is termed as “darkest hour” in the history of UEFA competitions. The trigger for the tragedy was hooliganism that started off between the fans of the Liverpool F.C. and Juventus F.C. of Italy. The chaos led to the collapse of a wall that took the lives of more than 39 people and injured many more.
