When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. 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. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. 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. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. The police had prior warning of potential trouble and deployed 2,000 officers to the area, yet they were unable to control the riot until they fired tear gas. I make no secret of that., Leeds were beaten 2-0 in Istanbul and lost over two legs after a 2-2 draw at home. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. Ridsdale was told by staff at the hospital that Speight was in a critical condition and needed an urgent transfusion but that the blood had to be paid for. On each trip he would set up a desk in the corridor where the team were staying, a point of contact in case of any problems. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. As. By Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. In the early hours of the morning after the death of two Leeds United supporters in Istanbul, Peter Ridsdale met with a delegate from UEFA at one of the citys police stations. 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. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. The death of the two Leeds fans in street fighting in central Istanbul on Wednesday turned Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium into an armed camp, with 10,000 police patrolling in and around the . 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. ', By There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. On April 5 2000 two Leeds fans, Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, were stabbed to death before the 2000 Uefa Cup semi-final first leg against Galatasaray in Taksim Square, Istanbul 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. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. Speight was with a group of Leeds fans attacked by Turkish locals outside a bar by Istanbuls Taksim Square, sustaining a slash wound to his stomach. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. Ali Umit . [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. Tuesday 5th April 2022 marks 22 years since two loyal Leeds United supporters, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, travelled to Turkey to watch their beloved team in action but tragically never returned home. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. Four people were stabbed in the scuffles, which also involved fans from other clubs and were viewed by the media as part of a retaliation for the killing of two Leeds United fans by Galatasaray supporters the month before. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. I jumped in a taxi and went back to Taksim Square., He has no recollection of how he came to be at Taksim Hospital, only that he found himself there after being told that the fighting had been serious. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. 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Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. 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. 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.. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. [35] In response, Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: Hopefully this threat will bring to their senses anyone tempted to continue the mindless thuggery that had brought such shame to the country.[35]. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. [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. I spent the whole night thinking, What are we doing here? And when the Leeds fans turned their backs to the pitch, total respect to them because the football meant nothing. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". Loftus had already been pronounced dead and in the melee, hospital staff mistakenly assumed Ridsdale was a relative and took him downstairs to the mortuary. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. Chelsea 1-0 Leeds LIVE: Blues finally find the breakthrough as Wesley Fofana heads home the opener in the second half in a game Graham Potter really needs to win as Brighton and Aston Villa . [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. It was how away days in Europe played out. I feel everything: anger, sadness. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. There was nothing you could say to him. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. What they were seeing was pretty graphic so we said to them, Turn the tellies off, go to bed and wait for us to get some proper details. The footage was grainy and frightening, capturing a helpless Loftus with bloodstains on his shirt. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Andy is one of six siblings, two sisters and four brothers, and all of the boys Phil, Chris, Darren and Andy made the trip to Turkey. When the second leg came round, in the dressing room we were trying to say, Come on, lets get stuck into them. But in the back of your mind youre putting football aside. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. It was horrible. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. Leeds supporters who were present denied causing trouble and the UK coroner who presided over the inquest, David Hinchliff, stated in unequivocal terms that Speight and Loftus were the innocent victims of a deliberate ambush. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. 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. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. The authorities imposed sentences on some of those who had originally escaped justice with Suleyman Gokhan Guven, Ali Baydar and Yilmaz Tutus given ten, six and five years in prison respectively. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. [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. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . Several fans offered to foot the bill. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. Christopher's brother was there [at the time of the incident] and I think that the impact on those two families can never be underestimated.". 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]. Its a game. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. Everything happened in a flash. 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. Its that attitude of, They must have gone looking for it. All the stuff about cars being tipped over, us disrespecting their women if youd been there, youd know. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. I think you just go into a downward spiral. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. The 45-year-old was an unused sub when Leeds were defeated by Galatasaray in an infamous 1999-00 Uefa Cup semi-finals - a match that was overshadowed by the death of two Yorkshire fans in the . 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . It is wrong to presume to tell those who were affected by the events in Istanbul how to feel or how to react to a player taking Galatasarays money. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. No question.. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . A streetwise Mancunian, he has looked after Oasis, Noel Gallagher and Take That and on the morning when we speak hes at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, organising staff for a gig by The Script. Its a strange thing but its important to me. Nigel Martyn has exclusively told LeedsUnited.News that playing against Galatasaray in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000 - just 24 hours after the murders of two Leeds fans - is to this day, his biggest regret in football. In the case of Loftus brother Andy, he prefers not to make a big deal of his surname for fear of the questions that might follow; the feeling of being always on show. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . She knows who he was but its not the same.. 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. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. Youre a kid. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. 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. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. Jesus. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. [22] The riots did not spread to the stadium, although there was an attempt to pull down the fences by fans heading towards the Arsenal area of the stadium before police stopped them. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. When we got to the bottom of the stairs they pulled out a drawer, a bit like a filing cabinet, and Christophers body was there. As a free agent, he had a decision to make about how best to look after himself with his 30th birthday coming next year (and in the end, looking after himself meant joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia last night). On April 5 2000 two Leeds fans, Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, were stabbed to death before the 2000 Uefa Cup semi-final first leg against Galatasaray in Taksim Square, Istanbul. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. I feel sorry for her, George says. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. I dont know why.. The Turkish. The routine for Andy and others who went abroad with Leeds was always the same: straight to the hotel, straight into town, straight on the beer. 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. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. The police were doing nothing to stop them. US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. The stadium is stuck in a state of eerie silence but this Sunday it will do what it always does on April 5 by standing in salute to the two who were lost. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. I had joked with him and said, At least youll be safe. He gave me a look and said, Or maybe not., The attitude as far as I could see was, Lets intimidate these lads and see what happens. Leeds back then had a lot of kids in their squad. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. They all say no. Demir was allowed to undertake national service with the Turkish military before being convicted for a second time in June 2007 and sentenced to 80 months. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. [14] The Arsenal fans left the bar to confront the Galatasaray fans, which led to a fight lasting for an hour before riot police managed to control it and arrested four Britons and four Turks. Picture gallery: A black night for football, Fans urged to take steps to raise charity funds at home of Bradford City, Josh Richardson remains in critical condition after Thailand crash, Rob Burrow: Shock as vandals target Leeds Beckett Student Union mural dedicated to Leeds Rhinos legend, New data reveals train commuters spend up to 2450 more a year than car-owning colleagues, Wakey Wines viral TikTok shop owner responds after police drugs raid: All we sell is Prime & WFD sweets, Lonely Leeds man bravely reaches out for friends on Facebook as hundreds offer support and love, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. It was weird because when we got in the car, the game (Galatasaray versus Leeds) had just started and was on the radio, Andy says. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. No one meant for it to happen. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. It was completely against your idea of law and order. Even then, it was meant to be closed to the press but loads of them were there and they were being really intrusive, Fallows says. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. Leeds head of security at the game recalled police officers lining the corridors in Galatasarays ground as the players emerged from the dressing room; an attempt, in his eyes, to intimidate them as they prepared to go onto the pitch. Later in the evening, a group of around 20 Leeds supporters broke off and found their way to the Riddim bar near Taksim Square, the huge expanse in the centre of Istanbul which was filled with places to eat and drink. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. 2023 BBC. On April 5 2000 two Leeds fans, Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus, were stabbed to death before the 2000 Uefa Cup semi-final first leg against Galatasaray in Taksim Square, Istanbul. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. And it is far too late to redress that now. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. [2] The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Peter Hunt, the British consul general in Istanbul, had been prepared for potential trouble, as are all consuls and embassies when English fans travel abroad.
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