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 . Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. 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. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". Then you get your head around whats actually happened. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Manchester United and Chelsea had contested European ties at the Ali Sami Yen previously and voiced complaints about their treatment, so Fallows increased the size of Leedss usual security detail from three to five as a precaution. 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. "They were screaming all sorts of things. He had been up all night receiving news of the stabbings, inflicted during violence which broke out on the eve of a UEFA Cup tie between Leeds and Galatasaray. And it is far too late to redress that now. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? The families of the victims will tell you that. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. Leeds will on Saturday afternoon mark 15 years since the deaths of supporters Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, who were stabbed by a Galatasaray fan in April 2000. , updated Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. 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). [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. How the violence started is unclear. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Andy was jailed in 2013 for his part in a fight between Leeds and Tottenham Hotspur fans in which a Spurs supporter was knocked unconscious. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. 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. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Ali Umit . It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. The police were doing nothing to stop them. Andy has paid for the plaque to be cleaned a couple of times and it could do with another polish now. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. [50] In 2012 Piers Morgan, the editor of the Daily Mirror at the time and a high-profile Arsenal fan who attended the match, apologised for printing the pictures. 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. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. "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.". 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. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Thats what they were, kids. There was nothing you could say to him. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. 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. Confusion reigned. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. My sympathy was with them. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Try a week on us. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. Ridsdale and Leedss operations director, David Spencer, were at a floating restaurant on the Bosphorus when they were phoned to tell them trouble in the centre of Istanbul had resulted in at least two fans being hospitalised. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. [41] It was noted by Turkish newspaper, Radikal that cannabis was being freely traded in the city square during the time before the riots, and the police did nothing about it. I feel sorry for her, George says. [31] Nineteen of the arrested were British, thirty-six were Turkish and the rest of the arrested included people from Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. The police claim he was punched. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. 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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . 12/02/2021 . Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. 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. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. I feel everything: anger, sadness. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. I like that they remember him. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. The Turkish. For some of it we were relying on the police and the authorities without knowing if they were going to do the right things. Before England played Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in Istanbul in 2003, Englands staff got in touch with Fallows to ask for logistical advice. A couple of lads came back to the hotel on their own and when I asked where the rest of them were, they didnt know. [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. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. ', By By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. Jesus. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. Andy got a pint at the bar. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. [10] It was reported that members of Leeds United's Leeds United Service Crew[11] and Chelsea's Chelsea Headhunters, along with hooligans supporting Rangers, Cardiff City and Swansea City all travelled to Denmark to join Arsenal fans in attacks on Galatasaray fans. 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. Another picture, taken by the Yorkshire Evening Posts Mark Bickerdike, shows Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate stepping from the tunnel with tangible shock on their faces. They had no direct contact with Galatasarays security officials but Fallows and Harry Stokoe, Leedss stadium manager, were able to visit the Ali Sami Yen the day before the game to map the venue out. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. It was a load of shit. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. 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. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. 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. 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. On the 21st anniversary of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus' deaths on April 5 2000, Martyn also recalls the immediate reaction of the Leeds squad . I dont think, even to this day, that Galatasaray would see the amount of press coverage or criticism as being fairly labelled against them, Risdale says. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. The deaths of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus on the night before Leeds played their Uefa Cup semi-final first leg with Galatasaray - 20 years ago yesterday - represent one of the darkest and. [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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. [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. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. 2023 BBC. When the press came round, me and my cousin would bounce on my bed to try and get in the photos and in the papers. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. Football and Leedss financial collapse made Ridsdale persona non grata at Elland Road but George says his mums face lit up when she heard that he was being interviewed for this article. There was the time when the pub opened its doors early to allow the locals to catch an early kick-off between Leeds and Manchester United. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. 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. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. 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. Chris and Kevin were brutally murdered in Istanbul on the eve of our UEFA Cup semi-final fixture with Galatasaray in 2000. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. Around them, riot police are standing with shields in the air, protecting the players from what Fallows says was all sorts of things smashing off them. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. [38] In Turkey, the media portrayed Galatasaray fans as acting in self-defence, with criticism directed at the British fans for allegedly attacking members of the press. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. [24] It was claimed that the police failed to control the riots,[43] and that they had been undermanned and outmaneuvered, to which Mogens Lauridsen, the police chief in Copenhagen admitted that the police had been "under-prepared". After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. We had to say to them as clearly as we could, If you go into the streets, if you go out drinking, we cant tell you how dangerous itll be. 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 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. 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. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . I was totally speechless, totally shocked. Leeds and Galatasaray have an extremely volatile relationship following the death of two Leeds supporters prior to the UEFA CUp semi-final back in 2000. 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. Turkish Prime Minister Blent Ecevit also made a call for fans to avoid violence after the riots, stating: Sports should be an initiative for friendship, not for fighting. I prefer to remember that way. George is a regular at Leeds games but until his teens he would wait outside the stadium at the home fixture closest to the April 5 anniversary while a minutes applause played out. Menu They just looked at me like I was stupid.. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. 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. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray supporters prior to the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000. 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Something went wrong, please try again later. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. By that stage he was exhausted. "Kevin had two young children. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. I dont know why.. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. 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. [15] In the fight, Paul Dineen, an Arsenal fan, was stabbed, leading to Arsenal offering fans refunds if they did not want to fly to the game. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. Anger: Leeds fans are angry that Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder has announced a new knife range on the 15th anniversary of the stabbing of two fans in Istanbul, Violence: An injured fan is taken away after riots between Leeds and Galatasaray fans before match in Turkey, Horror: A fan is escorted away from the violence by a police officer after riots between Leeds and Galatasaray fans. Convention required the directors of the clubs involved in a European tie to share a meal with UEFA delegates the night before the game and Galatasaray arranged the gathering, not far from the Kempinski Hotel where Leedss players and directors were staying. 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. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. 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. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. 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. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . galatasaray leeds death. 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. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. No one meant for it to happen. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. Leeds had taken over an entire corridor at the five-star Kempinski and the squad were in their rooms, ready to sleep ahead of the game the next night. 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 . Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. Give our social media channels a follow . [20], After the match, which Galatasaray won 41 on penalties, approximately 300 Arsenal fans in the Finsbury Park area of Islington in London attacked Turkish restaurants and businesses, with bottles being used to break windows. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. They all say no. 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. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. Its a strange thing but its important to me. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. Hed just met a girl. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. He had travelled to the hospital where injured fans were being treated and arranged payment for a blood transfusion for Kevin Speight, one of the two who died. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. 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. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. Last year, on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul, The Athletic spoke to some of the people closest to the tragedy and some of the people most affected by it. Everything happened in a flash.
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