Burnden Park disaster: Bolton Wanderers to mark 75th anniversary of tragedy before game against Cambridge

Bolton Wanderers will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Burnden Park disaster when the League Two side host Cambridge United on Tuesday.

Players will lay wreaths, gather for a minute's silence and sport black armbands in memory of the 33 people who were killed at Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final second leg against Stoke City on March 9, 1946.

On this day 75 years ago, Bolton took a 2-0 lead from the first leg back to Burnden Park where it was estimated that 85,000 spectators attended - 15,000 over the capacity.

As the Railway End of the ground filled, a decision was taken at approximately 2.40pm to close the turnstiles. However pressure inside the stand caused a crush.

Among the club tributes, Bolton Wanderers Remembrance Group will display their special flag in the stands and club chaplain Phil Mason will retell the story of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Bolton manager Ian Evatt and the players will read out the names of the victims with flags to be flown at half-mast.

The disaster led to changes and, in the aftermath of the crush, the Moelwyn Hughes report was published recommending tighter controls of crowd capacities.

A conference on the licensing and regulation of sports grounds also recommended that, as a voluntary code, local authorities should inspect grounds with a capacity of 10,000 or more spectators and agreed safety limits should be in place for grounds of more than 25,000.

It also stipulated that turnstiles should mechanically record the numbers of fans who pass through and grounds should have telephones.