[7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Several fans offered to foot the bill. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. People know me because of my dad, he says. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Galatasaray.org "They were screaming all sorts of things. 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 long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell [38] The photos led to some postmen working for Royal Mail losing their jobs because they had been seen in the photos and in television coverage,[46] even though they had not been arrested. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". [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. 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. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? 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 . 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. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Try a week on us. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. I heard the rumours that some Leeds fan wiped his arse with a Turkey flag and things like that but people tell me none of its true. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. 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). Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. They know what he did for us.. In fact, the Leeds United supporters, arriving for the first leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final with Galatasaray, were at first greeted in a way which mostly belied the Welcome to Hell banners which have traditionally greeted English teams there. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. There is very little about the football which Ridsdale cares to remember and at the 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. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. When they landed at Leeds-Bradford airport, a Leeds United club car was waiting to pick them up from the runaway, avoiding the cameras waiting inside. Fallows is convinced that Galatasaray and the Turkish police made deliberate attempts to rattle and unsettle away teams, forcing players to squeeze through tight lines of officers to gain entry to the ground and admitting thousands of home fans to the stadium hours before kick-off. 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. 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. Its a game. I feel everything: anger, sadness. 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. 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. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. 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. The second leg was totally different. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand I like that they remember him. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. 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. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. I think you just go into a downward spiral. [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. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. 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. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. 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. 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. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. Galatasaray beat English team Leeds United but their matches were marred by violence: two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death before their semi-final first leg at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul on 6 April 2000. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. 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. That is true. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. 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You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. 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. Can you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? 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. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. Something went wrong, please try again later. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. "They came into town to see. They will never be forgotten.. 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. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. The passing of time is there in all of them. . Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. I cant explain it but I got this weird feeling, he says. You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. [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. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes 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). 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. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. Former Leeds United Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The lasting impact has been to see the devastating effect it's had on Christopher and Kevin's families. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. 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. 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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. Anyone can read what . Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. Read about our approach to external linking. Leeds United fans' deaths in Turkey 20 years ago 'feels like - BBC The English FA followed the line of least resistance. 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. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. 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. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. No question.. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he 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 . 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. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. [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]. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. 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. The facilities are great. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. 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. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. One Love was a controlled situation. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. 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. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! 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". They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. I knew the ramifications would be life-long., (Photo: Phil Noble PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images), 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. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. Everything happened in a flash. "Kevin had two young children. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. 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.. Your choice, the official replied. 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. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. 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. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. My mum flicked it straight off again. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. Massive riots Galatasaray - Leeds / Arsenal 2000 - YouTube He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. 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. 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. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. 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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. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. Through different eyes and different viewpoints, a picture built up of the disregard and indifference with which they had been treated by those they looked to for help. Youre a kid. "When you see a man having to identify the body of his brother with a massive stab wound in his chest it just isn't what you'd associate with football.". 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. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. 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. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. ", "They came to kill; Turk fans arm for war", "Arsenal worried about hooligans at UEFA Cup", "First class thugs; Postmen are caught in Copenhagen football rampage", "Post Office refuses to reinstate worker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2000_UEFA_Cup_Final_riots&oldid=1113653919, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 October 2022, at 15:57. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. [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. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. He had been involved in the plane crash which Leeds players and coaches escaped from on the way home from a Premier League game at West Ham United in 1998. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. 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. 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. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. I didnt want to do it either. 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.
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