Ibrox unveils tributes to 66 victims of 1971 disaster

Two tributes have been unveiled to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster.

The tragedy happened on 2 January 1971 at the end of an Old Firm game when 66 people died in a crush on stairway 13 as thousands of fans were leaving the ground.

The images, which cover the big screens at Rangers' Ibrox stadium, show the club's first team line-up in 1872 and an image of a scarf and the words "2 January 1971 Always Remembered" to mark the disaster's anniversary.

The two images were made after discussions between the club and supporters, and will stay in place until the end of the season when other options will be considered. The big screens at Ibrox have not been in use for some time.

Fans had voted unani-mously for the "Founding Fathers" image and the 40th Anniversary of the Ibrox disaster to be the subject of the stadium tributes.

They were unveiled yesterday by former player Sandy Jardine, current first-team player Steven Whittaker and supporter Ian Loch, who attended the 1971 Old Firm derby.

Jardine said: "Commemorating those who lost their lives in the 1971 Ibrox disaster is fundamentally important to the club and supporters.

"Having played on that fateful day, I know how much the disaster affected not just everyone associated with Rangers but the entire country. I believe the images revealed today are fitting tributes."