THE tragedy that befell 33 souls at Burnden Park on March 9, 1946 is often referred to as the ‘forgotten’ disaster.

Coming a year after the destruction of the Second World War – and with public conscious later dominated by the awful events of Hillsborough and Bradford– the crush at Bolton Wanderers’ home ground 70 years ago can sometimes seem overlooked.

Now – for the first time – Bolton News can bring readers the full police report into the events that unfolded, when 33 of the 85,000 people packed into Burnden Park to see the Whites in action against Stanley Matthews’ Stoke City never came home.

Via the moving testimony of eyewitnesses and officials involved on that fateful day, the report pieces together a comprehensive overview of how the crush that injured a further 500 people developed.

We have digitised one of the only remaining copies of the report so that Bolton News readers can take the opportunity to learn more about what unfolded.

This document will remain online in perpetuity, so readers can remember and honour the 33 on future anniversaries of a disaster which families still live with to this day.

READ THE FULL DOCUMENT BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE BELOW

The Bolton News: