ON January 2, 1971, 66 Rangers fans lost their lives in a crush during an Old Firm game at Ibrox.
Among those to pass away on stairway 13 was 22-year-old George Irwin, a Cowal man and Dunoon native who was a cherished member of the Dunoon Rangers Supporters Club (DRSC).
George was believed to be the ticket secretary for the club at the time according to friend and lifelong member, Bud Fisher, and Bud, along with members of the DRSC, gathered by his grave to remember Irwin on the 55th anniversary of his passing on January 2, 2026.
George was an apprentice at the time and had recently married whilst staying on Johnston terrace.
bud said: “I’ve known George since we were at school together.
“George was a good guy, he was very helpful, if he could get you a ticket he would.
“He was well liked, that’s why people go up to his grave every January 2.
“Ever since it happened, the club’s always went up every year and put a wreath or flowers down, whatever it may be.”
It could have been different for Bud too, who had a ticket for the game but never went.
he recalled the passage of events, adding: “George actually got me a ticket for the game and I didn’t use it because my brother showed up from Belfast, and because I couldn’t get him a ticket I never went.
“I probably would’ve been with George [if I was there].
“Every time George is brought up I think about how lucky I was that my brother came home.
“It wasn’t meant to happen to me but I’m really sorry it happened to George, he was a newly married guy who’d started a family.”
And Bud has never taken for granted that he wasn’t in attendance that day, which makes honouring George all the more important to him.
He said: “It’s very important because he was very important to the club, and I think they’ve been brilliant in looking after him, making sure his grave was tidy and there’s flowers.”
“When his mum and dad had to go to Ibrox, it wasn’t a pretty sight, and it ripped the heart out of the club for a while.
“We still talk about George as if he’s still here, and he’s still here as long as the club is.”
