Burnden Park disaster

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The Burnden Park disaster in 1946 during a quarter-final Football Association Challenge Cup, FA Cup, tie between Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City was the greatest tragedy in British football (Association football or soccer), until the Ibrox Park disaster at Rangers' home ground in 1971. The popularity of football in Britain was at its peak in the years following World War II—a period when competitive football had all but been abandoned—and the estimated crowd of 85,000 that day caused congestion in the ground that led ultimately to the deaths by compressive asphyxia of 33 people. This occurred due to the overwhelming numbers of spectators in the Embankment end of the ground forcing the barrier to collapse.