When they landed at Leeds-Bradford airport, a Leeds United club car was waiting to pick them up from the runaway, avoiding the cameras waiting inside. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Everything was muddled. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. They had been a couple since their teens. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. Further information on the Istanbul violence: "Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell", "16 Hardcore Hooligan Firms, Ultras Groups We Wouldn't Want to Mess with", "Soldiers join hooligans to attack Turks in Cup clash", "Town in fear as drunken English pour in", "Arsenal-Galatasaray, sous le signe de la violence", "English, Turkish fans clash on eve final", "Copenhagen police overrun as soccer fans cause mayhem", "Folkefest endte i vold og masseslagsml", "Surprise attack by Arsenal fans seeking revenge sparked battle", "Violence erupts again as English and Turkish football fans riot in Copenhagen", "Danish police fear more brawls after European soccer final", "Violence overshadows historic soccer victory", "Charleroi lobby yet to learn lessons of Heysel", "Turkish and English fans clash at airport", "Galatasaray Wins UEFA Cup After Day of Rioting by Fans", "England told: more rioting and you're out", "Piers Morgan On Arsenal, Foreign Ownership and Twitter Rants", "SPORTS - The shadow on the UEFA Cup triumph", "How long until Turk fans cause another death on the pitch? Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Holmes was there and witnessed the entire away end turning their backs to the pitch with arms raised, an act of silent defiance and dissent. [47] Michael Doherty, the chairman of the Communication Workers Union, and his brother Tom took Royal Mail to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal claiming they had been acting in self-defence. [34] The Copenhagen riots followed a long line of similar events involving English football fans, and in June, UEFA's executive committee listed the Heysel Stadium disaster, disorders in Charleroi and Brussels, the killing of the two Leeds fans in Istanbul, and the Copenhagen riots and warned the British government that if there was any more rioting then England would be expelled from Euro 2000. Leeds United fans' deaths in Turkey 20 years ago 'feels like - BBC Menu "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. CATEGORIES . The 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence in Istanbul, Turkey, between fans of English football team Leeds United and Turkish team Galatasaray before the first match of the UEFA Cup semi-final on 5 April 2000, led to two Leeds fans being stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans. How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. Who really cares?. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were killed in Istanbul, Turkey, in April 2000, Their deaths had left a "lasting impact" on their families, a former Leeds United chairman said. When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. With CCTV evidence, four men were indicted for murder within a week, including Ali Umit Demir, at whose flat the police found a knife stained with the blood of both victims. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. Though the versions of Leeds fans and Turkish witnesses are almost entirely at odds, it appears the trouble started in the city's entertainment district outside the Riddim reggae bar in Buyuk Parmakkapi Street. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. Fallows is convinced that Galatasaray and the Turkish police made deliberate attempts to rattle and unsettle away teams, forcing players to squeeze through tight lines of officers to gain entry to the ground and admitting thousands of home fans to the stadium hours before kick-off. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. Hed just met a girl. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. I was so pleased to get on the plane out of Turkey but once I got back and thought about things, the reality of two lads dying out there got to me. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Your choice, the official replied. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. Past present or future..', A second added: 'Would much rather see one of the u23s get a chance at lb than Alioski for the rest of the season. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. I say that as someone who was back at his hotel when the stabbings occurred, he would be one of the last people to blame. They felt we were overreacting and on the day of the game in Istanbul there was no attempt to make sure the match passed off safely or securely, not that I could see. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. Galatasaray fans attempted to provoke the Arsenal fans in the bars, and the two sides began chanting at each other until bottles were thrown from both sides around 16:00. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. They ploughed on regardless, much like UEFA, and left Ridsdale thinking that their directors were more worried about distancing themselves from the stabbings than helping Leeds cope with them. pleasant grove high school / staff directory; dr omar suleiman wife esraa; ontario road trip summer; song baseball apple; waltham athletic club tennis schedule; galatasaray leeds death. [10][12] This led to the final being considered "high risk"; 2,000 members of the Danish police were assigned to the game, with assistance from members of British and Turkish police forces. The police claim he was punched. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. He was showered with stickers and sweets gifts from friends who lived locally and Ridsdale, who supported both families throughout, delivered Easter eggs to the house for him and Holly. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. We catch up at the cafe in an Asda store near his home in Killingbeck and he speaks bravely but reluctantly; not because he wants to but because he thinks he should, for the sake of his brother Chriss memory. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. We had hundreds of fans in Turkey, some in the air and another plane due to fly the following morning (the morning flight out from Leeds-Bradford Airport was rapidly cancelled). Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. She remarried and shes carried on with her life but its still there, every time you come up to my dads birthday or the anniversary. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. Alioski was not part of that history but the history exists and the real story here far more significant than Alioski or any other footballer per se is the absence of any reconciliation over a night which feels as raw to those who witnessed it now as it did two decades ago; the lasting bitterness produced by a vacuum of empathy. Andy got a pint at the bar. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. How the violence started is unclear. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. She knows who he was but its not the same.. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Ali Sami Yen, the stadium was so overcrowded that he had Galatasaray fans in front of him literally sat on my feet. The next day, he and Leeds players and coaching staff reached the airport, climbed on a plane and flew home. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. This caused a severe riot in the city square, with several restaurant facilities used by fans to fight each other, with iron bars and knives also being used. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. Because I was so young and the memories arent clear, I get times when I ask myself if it really happened. Holly, as a two-year-old, was left with no memories at all. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. Leeds fans had planned to honour the memories of Speight and Loftus this weekend by holding up photos of the two murdered men at the home game with Blackburn Rovers. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. Me and the security team tried to create a bit of a cushion between them so the players werent worried about getting batoned, Fallows says. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. The passing of time is there in all of them. It sunk in quickly once we got home. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. But from 10.30pm local time, any sense of complacency seemed tragically misplaced, as a brutal battle began between Leeds supporters and a group of Turks, with running fights in the streets. They know what he did for us.. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. But where Galatasaray failed, and where Ridsdale specifically felt resentment, was in grasping the scale of the tragedy and in refusing to accept that violence on the streets and a UEFA Cup tie could not be classed as unrelated events once the worst had happened. And it is far too late to redress that now. Andy has paid for the plaque to be cleaned a couple of times and it could do with another polish now. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. The 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence in Istanbul, Turkey, between fans of English football team Leeds United and Turkish team Galatasaray before the first match of the UEFA Cup semi-final on 5 April 2000, led to two Leeds fans being stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". All he recalls about the incident was being woken up by Susan the following morning and told, as softly as it could be broken, that Speight had died. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. [5] As a result of the stabbings, Leeds United banned Galatasaray fans from attending the second leg at Elland Road, claiming that the safety of fans could not be guaranteed. In the first leg it was difficult to say, Lets get out there do it for the two lads because we didnt have the full picture, Gray says. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. The families of the victims will tell you that. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. Life is good. , updated When the Turkish club flew over for the return leg two weeks later, an occasion as venomous and bitter as any Elland Road has hosted, they railed against Ridsdales request that their fans be banned from travelling. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed during street clashes the night before Leeds played Turkey's Galatasaray in the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-finals in April 2000. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. The only thing I could compare it to is the One Love concert in Manchester (held after the terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena in 2017) and thats purely because of how difficult the logistics of One Love were, he says. "There's a lot of anger. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. Galatasaray beat English team Leeds United but their matches were marred by violence: two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death before their semi-final first leg at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul on 6 April 2000. George is different. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. Friends and family of Speight and Loftus had congregated there and other Leeds fans were waiting with more minor injuries, some of them slash wounds. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. It was totally deliberate. The images are so vivid in Peter Ridsdales mind that he can describe every aspect of the hospital where Speight and Loftus were taken after they were attacked. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. By that stage he was exhausted. The 2000 UEFA Cup Final Riots, also known as the Battle of Copenhagen,[1] were a series of riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark between fans of English football team Arsenal and Turkish team Galatasaray around the 2000 UEFA Cup Final on 17 May 2000. Twenty years on from Istanbul: the night when football became murder Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. galatasaray leeds death He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. Something went wrong, please try again later. 12/02/2021 . He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. I am just trying to come to terms with the fact that I have seen a dead body for the first time in 10 years. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. One Love was a controlled situation. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. They knew there had been trouble but the club made an effort to hold back some detail on the basis that if the game went ahead, they would need to concentrate on it. I feel sorry for her, George says. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes in April 2000 at 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray. Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. Istanbul was life and death and more than focusing on Alioski himself, the attention on him generated by the very prospect of a move to Turkey itself should make us ask why it was ever allowed to come to this; a horrific episode which offered no chance of peace or proper closure. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 It was completely against your idea of law and order. But it was common sense. They all say no. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. My sympathy was with them. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. The away supporters responded with songs about two Leeds fans who were stabbed to death in Istanbul prior to a fixture against Galatasaray in 2000. . [2] It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Thats just how the system worked. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. Try a week on us. There was the time when he was caught stealing two pounds from the pub till and sent by Speight to sit in the office until Susan came home to read the riot act. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. We could only do what we thought was best at that moment. The journey to the stadium prior to kick-off made him wish he had forfeited it and taken the consequences. The morning after Loftus and Speight were killed, Fallows and Stokoe were asked by Ridsdale to visit every hotel where the clubs supporters were staying. They felt we were overreacting. In all the many layers of anger, that was one of them; the apparent inability to adopt some common decency. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United That is true. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. Bowyer leads out the Leeds team as the first leg went ahead (Photo: Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images), A minutes silence is observed before the return leg at Elland Road (Photo: Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images). [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. His most recent role as a club manager was at English National League side Barnet, and he is currently a first team coach at Celtic.. As a player, Kewell represented Leeds United, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart. Galatasaray football player Wesley Sneijder has released a commemorative knife set - on the 15th anniversary of the fatal stabbing of two Leeds fans by Turkish supporters. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. Confusion reigned. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour . Youre a kid. "When you see a man having to identify the body of his brother with a massive stab wound in his chest it just isn't what you'd associate with football.". Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. The second leg was totally different. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. Some Arsenal fans reacted negatively to the news, claiming that there was still bad blood between the two sets of supporters and were concerned that there would be a resumption of hostilities between them.[51]. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. The police told us themselves that the shoe-shine boys had been trailing us for a while, waiting to see when some of us had split away from the main group.. [4], It was not clear how the fight started, with reports of it either being started by Leeds fans throwing beer glasses and insulting the Turkish flag,[5] or being started by Galatasaray fans throwing chairs. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. Those killed were "attackers", it said. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner.
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