The ten notable stadium disasters that have occurred in the history of football
1. Hillsborough Stadium Disaster (1989):
- Location: Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, England.
- The disaster took place during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
- Due to overcrowding in the standing-only sections, a crush occurred, leading to 96 fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
- Failures in crowd control, stadium design, and emergency response were identified as contributing factors.
2. Heysel Stadium Disaster (1985):
- Location: Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium.
- Occurred during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.
- Violent clashes broke out between Liverpool and Juventus fans before the match.
- A wall collapsed as escaping fans were being pressed against it, resulting in 39 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
- The incident led to a five-year ban on English clubs in European competitions.
3. Estadio Nacional Disaster (1964):
- Location: Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru.
- Occurred during a qualifying match for the 1964 Olympic Games between Peru and Argentina.
- After a controversial decision by the referee, fans became unruly, and a stampede broke out.
- Around 320 people were killed, and thousands were injured in the crush.
4. Ibrox Stadium Disaster (1971):
- Location: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland.
- Happened during a match between Rangers and Celtic.
- Following a goal, fans surged forward, causing a crush against a barrier on Stairway 13.
- 66 fans lost their lives, and more than 200 were injured. This was the second disaster at Ibrox, with a previous incident occurring in 1902.
5. Ellis Park Stadium Disaster (2001):
- Location: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Occurred during a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
- Fans tried to push their way into an already overcrowded stadium, resulting in a stampede.
- The incident claimed the lives of 43 people, with many more injured.
6. Accra Sports Stadium Disaster (2001):
- Location: Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana.
- Took place during a match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
- After a contentious decision by the referee, supporters threw objects onto the pitch, leading to a stampede.
- 127 people died, and numerous others were injured.
7. Katutura Stadium Disaster (1991):
- Location: Katutura Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia.
- Occurred during a match between two local teams, Black Africa and African Stars.
- Fans rushed onto the pitch after a player scored a goal, causing a stampede.
- 31 people lost their lives, and over 200 were injured.
8. Stadium Tahar-Zoughari Disaster (2014):
- Location: Stadium Tahar-Zoughari, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria.
- Took place during a Ligue 1 match between JS Kabylie and USM Alger.
- Fans became caught in a narrow exit tunnel while trying to leave the stadium, resulting in a deadly crush.
- The disaster claimed the lives of 8 people, with many others injured.
9. Moscow Luzhniki Disaster (1982):
- Location: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia).
- Occurred during a UEFA Cup match.