Original version

BBC World Service East Asia

Sporting Witness

Podcasts

Factual: History

Sport

The inside and personal story of the key moments from sporting history

Bomb scare at The Grand National

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Sporting Witness: Bomb scare at The Grand National

Magazines & Reviews

13/04/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, Bomb scare at The Grand National

The story of the 150th Grand National which was disrupted by an IRA bomb scare.

The 150th Grand National horse race was disrupted by the IRA sending two coded bomb threats meaning the world famous steeplechase had to be abandoned.

On 5th April 1997, the 150th Grand National horse race was meant to take place at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool.  But the IRA sent 2 coded bomb threats which meant the world famous steeplechase had to be abandoned.  Managing Director of the course at the time, Charles Barnett, tells Uma Doraiswamy what it was like to be the man responsible for safely evacuating 70,000 people and trying to get the race back on track.

(Photo: A sign instructs the public on the evacuation procedure due to the IRA bomb scare which postponed The Grand National in April 1997. Credit: Getty)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Sporting Witness

Bomb scare at The Grand National

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service East Asia

About BBC World Service