The Holditch Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident on 2 July 1937, in Chesterton, Staffordshire, England, in which 30 men died and eight were injured.
It was caused by a fire and subsequent explosions, and was exacerbated by a decision from management to risk the lives of mine workers to try to save the coal seam.
[5] These efforts also proved futile and so the men retreated further back and took a roll call – revealing the absence of Hystead and Stanton.
[5] One of these men, H.Bentley, ordered a night shift ripper, John Hassell, to meet him at the right hand gate.
[5] The manager ordered for stoppings to be put on in the cruts, and sand, stone and dust was brought in for this purpose.
The original plan by Mr.Davies, was to put two stopping dams in solid ground, and would allow for easy transportation of materials at a distance of less than 500 yards from the pit bottom.
[5] The revised plan Mr.Cocks ordered meant erecting three such dams in unstable ground, also providing air to the fire, and requiring a travelling distance of 1,300 yards for essential tools and equipment.
[5] "This change in the original plan of the manager was a vital matter, resulting, as it did, in the large death toll.
[5] Shortly before 10:10 a seventh small explosion occurred, followed by an eighth, and deadly blast.
"On 19 October 1937 Scottish Football League champions Rangers travelled to the Victoria Ground to play Stoke City in a benefit match for the victims of the disaster, raising £2,000 for the relief fund.
"It is my considered opinion that at the time the second plan was adopted, very dangerous conditions existed, and were known at the time to exist which made the attempt to follow this plan a matter of imminent peril to the lives of the unnecessarily large number of men required to execute it.