11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . 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. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. Even so, the counterargument holds water. 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). In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. It might be fair to say that the events of 2000 are a reason to dissuade a footballer with ties to Leeds from engaging with Galatasaray but not necessarily to prohibit him from signing, especially as time goes by. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. They had been a couple since their teens. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. 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. 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. It takes a certain amount of nerve to put a foot in both camps, which is doubtless why Harry Kewell was able to do so in 2008 when he left Liverpool for the Ali Sami Yen. [8], The stabbings caused anger throughout the United Kingdom, and subsequently members of Arsenal's hooligan firms The Herd and The Gooners,[9] wanted to avenge the deaths of the Leeds fans, and telephoned other British hooligan firms, inviting them to join them in Copenhagen to attack Galatasaray fans. 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. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. For long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. 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 . Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. Surprise me? A Galatasaray player who endorsed a set of knives as Leeds United paid tribute to fans fatally stabbed before a game against his club has apologised. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. The way the police and the authorities were with us. My mum flicked it straight off again. Confusion reigned. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 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. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. 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. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? Give our social media channels a follow . More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes I feel sorry for her, George says. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. The facilities are great. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . A lot of what went on I dont want to know. [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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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Then you turn around and Kevin and Chris are lying there., In the hospitals waiting area, Andy overheard a voice saying that one of the fatalities was one of the four brothers. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. 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.. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. 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. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. And worse things too. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. 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". junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. I genuinely feared for our lives. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. 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. As chairman of Leeds, he told the UEFA official that it would make sense to postpone the first leg of the semi-final which Leeds and Galatasaray were about to play. 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. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. [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. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Those killed were "attackers", it said. 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. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. You dont get it.. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. 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. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. 2023 BBC. galatasaray leeds death. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. The images of that never grow old. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. I think you just go into a downward spiral. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. Disgusting. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. There was nothing you could say to him. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. [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 set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. I was amazed, he says. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. Alioski had less of a cross to bear. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. 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. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. 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. 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. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. 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. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. Andy got a pint at the bar. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous evening were rapidly sinking in and for those who were closest to it, the images wont fade. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. Will Griffee For Mailonline I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". Leeds had worries on several fronts: maintaining the safety of other fans in the city, helping the relatives of Speight and Loftus in Turkey and at home, and deciding whether the game at the Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. The police claim he was punched. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. Obviously he liked his football too. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. 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. I dont know why.. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. 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. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. That is true. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. 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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. [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 this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. Given that context and these examples only really scratch the surface of everything that happened in April 2000 there was no way in which a player like Gjanni Alioski could consider leaving Leeds and joining Galatasaray, as he did for many months, without bracing himself for a tense political path and the objection he encountered online. 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. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. 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. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. CATEGORIES . 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. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. 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. "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.". Try a week on us. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. Something went wrong, please try again later. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper.
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