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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gavin Berry

Former Rangers captain John Greig pays tribute to Ibrox disaster victims on 51st anniversary of tragedy

Former Rangers captain John Greig has paid tribute to the victims of the Ibrox disaster on the 51st anniversary of the tragedy.

The club legend laid a wreath at his statue which stands above the memorial to the 66 supporters who lost their lives at the Old Firm game against Celtic on January 2, 1971.

Greig was joined by Rangers directors and staff at the stadium where tributes have been left to commemorate one of the worst disasters in British football.

The club posted a video on their social media channel this morning of the documentary programme made for the 50th anniversary last year.

Jimmy Johnstone gave Celtic the lead in the 89th minute on that fateful day before Colin Stein equalised for Willie Waddell's Light Blues with seconds remaining.

More than 80,000 fans had attended the derby clash and 66 perished at Stairway 13 following the late drama in the traditional New Year fixture.

Speaking last year, Greig said: "The passing of time certainly doesn’t make it any easier to reflect upon what happened.

"I’m very proud to lay a wreath every year. It’s also very humbling for my statue to be on that plinth above the memorial to the victims of the disaster."

“You are talking about 66 people who went to a football match and never went home. It was a football match, not a war they went off to. It’s still hard to accept.

“While it still really affects me on a personal level, the ones I really feel for are the relatives of the people who died that day."

Tributes have been paid across football to those who lost their lives and Liverpool posted on their official Twitter account: "Our thoughts are with @RangersFC and everyone affected by the Ibrox Disaster, 51 years ago today #AlwaysRemembered."

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