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. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. 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. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. The way the police and the authorities were with us. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. 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. 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. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. That is true. And it is far too late to redress that now. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. [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. Alioski had less of a cross to bear. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. 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. 12/02/2021 . Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 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. At a local police station, at around 4am on April 6, Ridsdale was given a stark message by the UEFA representative who turned up there: play the game, or forfeit it and incur an automatic 3-0 defeat. I dont think, even to this day, that Galatasaray would see the amount of press coverage or criticism as being fairly labelled against them, Ridsdale said last year. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. 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. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. CATEGORIES . It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. How the violence started is unclear. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. The passing of time is there in all of them. 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. People speak well of him. 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. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. 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. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Anyone can read what . Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". Thats just how the system worked. 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.. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. They will never be forgotten.. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Leeds' bitter hatred towards the Turkish side is no secret after two of their supporters, Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight, were stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans prior to the UEFA Cup. The police claim he was punched. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. Its completely different. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. 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. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. It was a load of shit. 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. 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. 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). Send any friend a story. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. George is different. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. The setting was Turkeys biggest city, on the banks of the Bosphorus, and the game was the first leg of a UEFA Cup semi-final. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. It was only when Gray arrived home that his parents asked if he was OK and told him about the many Rangers fans who had died. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. [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. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". They just looked at me like I was stupid.. 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. 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. Both had numerous other wounds. 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. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. Thats what they were, kids. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. 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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. 2023 BBC. And worse things too. We looked up the steps and all you could see at the top was the dark sky and riot shields around the entrance to the pitch. 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. 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. He had been in touch with the Turkish authorities, and with Chief Superintendent Steve Matthews from West Yorkshire police, who travels abroad with Leeds fans on away trips, and his team of three or four officers acting as "spotters". That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. 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. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. "We did amazing business in one hour. Others suggested a group of Leeds supporters had attacked a lone Turk, possibly a taxi driver, who had then returned with a mob wielding knives and machetes. Try a week on us. It was horrible. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. 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. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. [30] In total, nineteen people were injured and sixty people were arrested,[27] with 15 of the arrested being subsequently banned from attending Euro 2000. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. The second leg was totally different. For me, it didnt feel real. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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? I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. Something went wrong, please try again later. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. David Davies, the Football Association's executive director, called it "frankly, the least worst option". The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. Every year, the families of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus place wreathes at the plaque and go together for a drink, to catch up and reflect. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." I feel everything: anger, sadness. 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. For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. "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.". The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. He was on the scene as the club grieved and as much as any other of David OLearys players, he was in a position to fully comprehend both the impact of the killings and Galatasarays response to them. 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. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. [27], At Parken Stadium, where the final was to be played, the police erected iron fencing outside to separate the Arsenal and Galatasaray fans as a precaution. My mum just felt she had to move on. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. He died in an operating theatre in the early hours of the morning, despite Leeds United paying for blood supplies to be rushed to him. "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. This led to 19 injuries, including 4 stabbings, and 60 arrests with similar events occurring in England and Turkey in the aftermath of the riots. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. 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. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." Those killed were "attackers", it said. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. You dont get it.. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Its a strange thing but its important to me. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. 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. One Love was a controlled situation. Its a game. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. 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. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. It was totally deliberate. It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. Obviously he liked his football too. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. After travelling to the Turkish capital to follow the club, Mr Speight and Mr Loftus were attacked with machetes when a row broke out between rival fans. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. 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. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. ', By
Then you get your head around whats actually happened. 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 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. 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. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. 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. 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. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. "They were screaming all sorts of things. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. People know me because of my dad, he says. The events of the day started early in the morning when skirmishes broke out in a bar, which led to an Arsenal fan being stabbed. 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. 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. It sunk in quickly once we got home. And many have voiced their opinion on social media following a report by Football Insider that Alioski has agreed a pre-contract to join the rivals in the summer. "We came out of a bar and there were 100 people waiting for us with machetes, knives, bits of chair and table legs and they just attacked us. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. HONEYTRAP HELL: Watch the moment dad lets two women into flat who seduced and drugged him before stabbing him to death over fake Rolex he'd shown off online, Moment sonic boom 'like a gas explosion' shakes homes as RAF Typhoon aircraft scrambled, Spencer Matthews sparks concern as Finding Michael documentary pulled at 11th hour, Cyclist pavement killer risks losing home as neighbours break silence, BREAKING: Max Verstappen takes Bahrain GP pole as Fernando Alonso gets one over Lewis Hamilton, Defiant Prince Andrew seen smiling amid royal eviction clash with King Charles, BREAKING: Bus carrying 40 schoolchildren plunges down creek in French Alps, Matt Hancock's 41-hour battle to save career after Gina Coladangelo affair revealed, Art Attack legend Neil Buchanan unrecognisable after quitting TV role for rock band, Saturday Kitchen fans in hysterics as guest repeats X-rated word live on BBC, Harry has 'NOTHING TO LOSE' after Frogmore eviction as he prepares for trauma tell-all, Woman, who was over drink-drive limit, dies in crash on way home from work at club, Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers.
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