1939 Rochdale Athletic Grounds collapse

Last updated
Rochdale Athletic Grounds collapse, 1939
Athletic Grounds collapse 1939.jpg
The collapse of the stand roof captured by a Rochdale Observer photographer
Date1 April 1939 (1939-04-01)
TimeBetween 15:30 and 15:45
Location Athletic Grounds, Rochdale, Lancashire, England
Coordinates 53°36′46″N2°08′07″W / 53.61278°N 2.13528°W / 53.61278; -2.13528
Causeroof collapse
Deaths2
Non-fatal injuries17
Inquest18 April 1939
CoronerStanley Turner

The Rochdale Athletic Grounds collapse occurred on 1 April 1939 at the Athletic Grounds, Rochdale during a rugby league Challenge Cup semi-final between Salford and Wigan. Two people died and a further 17 were injured when part of the roof of the Railway Stand collapsed.

Contents

Background

The draw for the semi-finals of the 1938–39 Challenge Cup produced an all-Yorkshire tie between Halifax and Leeds which as played at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, and an all-Lancashire tie between Wigan and Salford which the Rugby Football League (RFL) agreed would be played at Rochdale Hornets' ground, the Athletic Grounds.

Demand for tickets was high and sold well even with two weeks left before the game was played. [1] In anticipation of a big attendance, additional safety barriers and entrance booths were installed. [2]

Incident

Despite the preparations made in readiness for the tie, the crowds were bigger than anticipated and the gate staff could not cope with the numbers seeking admission, with long queues forming to get into the ground. [3] Some, grew impatient and forced the gates open, while others tore down fences. It was estimated that several thousand people gained admission this way, making the packed ground even fuller. [3] The greyhound track, surrounding the pitch was full with people who had climbed over the barriers to avoid the crush from people coming in behind them. [4] Others climbed onto the roofs of the stands and remained there even though the police made several requests for them to come down. [3]

Before kick-off the referee, S Adams, had to ask the spectators to step back so that the touch judges could see the touch lines of the pitch. The start of the match was delayed by five minutes due to this. [4]

Five minutes into play, loud cracking was heard and a section about 30 yards (27.4 m) long of the Railway Stand roof about collapsed, falling onto the packed terrace underneath as well as spilling the people on the roof onto the crowds below. [4] The game was suspended while police, ambulance staff, spectators and players all helped to remove the people trapped under the debris. [4] Within seven minutes all the injured had been moved to an area behind the main stand from where 17 people were taken to hospital. [4] Two of these later died. 41-year old Joseph Howles died later in the day, while 51-year old Annie West died the following day. [3]

After discussions between the match officials, the clubs and the RFL, it was decided to continue the game. [4] Salford went on to win 11–2. [5]

The official attendance was recorded as 31,212 but estimates were that another 5,000 had entered the ground. [4] [6]

Aftermath

An inquest into the two deaths commenced on 4 April 1939 and was adjourned after formal identification of the deceased. [7] The coroner, Stanley Turner (who was at the match when the accident happened), visited the ground before the inquest resumed on 18 April. Sections of the roof timbers were produced at the inquest and although the timbers were found to be rotten but that the roof would not have collapsed without the weight of people on the roof. [8] The inquest heard that Annie West was not in the stand which collapsed but was in the ground and saw the collapse and became ill as a result. A verdict of death by natural causes was returned in the case of Annie West. [9] Joseph Howles had been in the stand when the roof collapsed and he had been rescued from under the fallen section. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. [9]

Although the Athletic Grounds continued to be home to Rochdale Hornets until 1988, the Salford-Wigan game was the last major match staged at the ground where previously internationals, county championship matches and the final of the 1923–24 Challenge Cup had been played. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swinton Lions</span> English professional rugby league club

Swinton Lions are a professional rugby league club based in Swinton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the RFL League 1. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. Before 1996, the club was known simply as Swinton RLFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochdale Hornets</span> English rugby league club

The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the League 1, the third tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, making them one of the world's first rugby league clubs. Their main local rivals are Oldham, Salford Red Devils, Swinton Lions, Halifax and the Huddersfield Giants.

The Athletic Grounds was a stadium in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was the home of Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club for over 90 years until 1988. It has also been used for speedway, BriSCA F1 Stock Cars and greyhound racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Todd</span> New Zealand rugby league coach and former international

Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player, he represented New Zealand in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs. He later became the manager at Salford and led the club to three League Championships and one Challenge Cup victory.

The year 1996's Stones Bitter Super League I was the official name for the 102nd season of top-level rugby league football, and the first year of Europe's new championship: Super League. It is also the first season of rugby league to be played in summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995-96 RFL First Division plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid Rix</span> GB & England international rugby league footballer

Sidney "Sid" Rix was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Oldham, as a wing or centre.

Tom White was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Somerset, at armed services level for the Army, and at club level for Bath (captain) and Bristol as a goal-kicking scrum-half or fly-half/outside-half, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for Oldham, as a goal-kicking wing, stand-off, or scrum-half.

George Ruddick was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Brecon RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, Wales, and Lancashire, and at club level for Broughton Rangers, as a forward.

The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football run by England's Northern Rugby Football Union. A number of off-season changes made this season different from preceding ones. In June 1901 fourteen leading clubs from both Lancashire and Yorkshire resigned from their respective County Championships to form a new Northern Rugby Football League.

George Hesketh was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Wigan and Oldham, as a stand-off, or loose forward.

Dan Smith was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s. He played at representative level for the Other Nationalities, and at club level for Salford, as a fullback. Smith appeared on the losing side in three Challenge Cup finals; in the 1899–1900, 1901–02 and 1902–03 seasons.

The 1940–41 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the second season of the English rugby league’s Wartime Emergency League necessitated by the Second World War. After doubts that the season might not start, matches were played in a league organised in a similar way to the previous season with two regional leagues, Yorkshire and Lancashire, with the winners of each league meeting in a two-legged play-off final to determine the overall champions.

The 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the third season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency League necessitated by the Second World War. With fewer clubs than the previous season the Rugby Football League (RFL) decided to amalgamate the two county leagues into one joint league. The season started with 18 clubs but finished with 17 after Broughton Rangers withdrew in January 1942. The single division championship was won by Dewsbury, who had finished the season in first position and then defeated Bradford Northern in the play-off final.

The 1900 Challenge Cup was the 4th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

The 1905–06 Challenge Cup was the 10th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

The 1908–09 Challenge Cup was the 13th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

The 1924–25 Challenge Cup was the 25th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

The 1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League season was an emergency season of English rugby league fixtures necessitated by the outbreak of the Second World War. The regular league season had started at the end of August 1939, but on the outbreak of war all sport was suspended. When government permission for sport to be resumed was given, the league was reorganised into two regional competitions, Yorkshire and Lancashire. The winners of each league playing against each other to decide the overall champions. The Yorkshire competition was won by Bradford Northern who beat Swinton, winners of the Lancashire competition, in the two-legged league final.

The 2020 Challenge Cup, known as the Coral Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 119th staging of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout tournament for teams in the Super League, the British national leagues and a number of invited amateur clubs.

The 2021 Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2021 Betfred Challenge Cup, was the 120th edition of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout tournament in British rugby league run by the Rugby Football League (RFL). This year's competition will be contested between only the professional clubs.

References

  1. ↑ "The Cup semi-final" . Rochdale Observer . No. 7086. 18 March 1939. p. 16 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ↑ "Cup semi-final" . Rochdale Observer . No. 7089. 29 March 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Two dead in Rochdale football clash" . Birmingham Evening Mail . No. 22809. 3 April 1939. p. 13 – via newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Athletic Grounds Catastrophe" . Rochdale Observer . No. 7091. 5 April 1939. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Salford on top" . Liverpool Echo . No. 18472. 1 April 1939. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Semi-Final Tragedy" . Runcorn Weekly News . 6 April 1939. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Coroner saw stand crash" . Dundee Evening Telegraph . No. 19456. 5 April 1939. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Rugby Cup-tie death victim not in wrecked stand" . Manchester Evening News . No. 21824. 18 April 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. 1 2 "Football Stand Collapse" . Grimsby Evening Telegraph . No. 15696. 18 April 1939. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ Delaney, Trevor (1991). The Grounds of Rugby League. p. 12. ISBN   0 9509982 2 2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.