It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. Thats what they were, kids. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. 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? Fri 7 Apr 2000 20.36 EDT. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. 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. galatasaray leeds death The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. Something went wrong, please try again later. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. 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. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. Leeds United fans' deaths in Turkey 20 years ago 'feels like - BBC Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. The passing of time is there in all of them. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. 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. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. They know what he did for us.. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. 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. As. 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. 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. galatasaray leeds death. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. The man named as the prime suspect in the killings, a cafe owner named Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. galatasaray leeds death [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes in April 2000 at 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia [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. Give our social media channels a follow . ", "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. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. 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. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. [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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. Disgusting. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. 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. Several fans offered to foot the bill. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. My mum just felt she had to move on. 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. 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. Who really cares?. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. 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. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or [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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. Exclusive: Leeds icon Martyn on 21st anniversary of Galatasaray murders In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. 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. She remarried and shes carried on with her life but its still there, every time you come up to my dads birthday or the anniversary. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. I like that they remember him. 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. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. And I still blame myself a lot.. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. In the weeks after the deaths, he offered them emotional and financial assistance (the family declined to take any money) and would phone Susan regularly to keep in touch. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, Leeds players needed protection from police with riot shields before their game against Galatasaray in 2000 (Photo: Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images). By 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. Read about our approach to external linking. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. 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. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. Read about our approach to external linking. "Kevin had two young children. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. 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. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. 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. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. 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. I feel sorry for her, George says. George is different. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. 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. I didnt want to do it either. I dont know why.. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. 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. 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. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. I am not sure if the first few expected fighting but I saw one guy running to a telephone to call his friends after he saw the English. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. 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. 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.. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. 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. 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 . It triggered something and I ran into the ward. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. 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. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. 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. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. 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. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. She knows who he was but its not the same..

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