Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. I jumped in a taxi and went back to Taksim Square., He has no recollection of how he came to be at Taksim Hospital, only that he found himself there after being told that the fighting had been serious. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. They all say no. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. Christopher's brother was there [at the time of the incident] and I think that the impact on those two families can never be underestimated.". More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. "They came into town to see. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. 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. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. He said getting involved in charity work and fundraisers, including running half-marathons in memory of his brother, had helped him to deal with his sibling's death. 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. The police were doing nothing to stop them. Andy got a pint at the bar. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. 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. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. 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. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. 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. 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. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. 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. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. I think those who arrived later knew what to expect.". As a family, I dont know how you come to terms with that., Inside the Ali Sami Yen, hundreds of Leeds supporters attended the first leg as planned and were housed in a small section of yellow seats. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. 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 . UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. 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. Who really cares?. Turk admits stabbing murdered Leeds fan | Soccer | The Guardian There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. "Kevin had two young children. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . 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". Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. , updated I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. 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 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. 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. Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. Galatasaray tragedy will stay with Leeds United and Eirik Bakke forever Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. There was the time when he was caught stealing two pounds from the pub till and sent by Speight to sit in the office until Susan came home to read the riot act. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. 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. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. [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. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. [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. [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 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. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). So Leeds did. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. This led to the two Leeds fans being 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. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. 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. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. They will never be forgotten.. 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. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. 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. In the case of Loftus brother Andy, he prefers not to make a big deal of his surname for fear of the questions that might follow; the feeling of being always on show. The passing of time is there in all of them. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray Some Arsenal fans reacted negatively to the news, claiming that there was still bad blood between the two sets of supporters and were concerned that there would be a resumption of hostilities between them.[51]. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 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. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. 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. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. "They were screaming all sorts of things. He was showered with stickers and sweets gifts from friends who lived locally and Ridsdale, who supported both families throughout, delivered Easter eggs to the house for him and Holly. 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. galatasaray leeds death. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. My sympathy was with them. 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. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. Read about our approach to external linking. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. The 2000 UEFA Cup Final Riots, also known as the Battle of Copenhagen,[1] were a series of riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark between fans of English football team Arsenal and Turkish team Galatasaray around the 2000 UEFA Cup Final on 17 May 2000. 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. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand 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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Youre a kid. I dont know why.. [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. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. 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. I didnt want to do it either. 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. 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. 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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. 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. [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. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. Its a game. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Jesus. Try a week on us. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. And worse things too. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. People speak well of him. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. Four people were stabbed in the scuffles, which also involved fans from other clubs and were viewed by the media as part of a retaliation for the killing of two Leeds United fans by Galatasaray supporters the month before. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. All he recalls about the incident was being woken up by Susan the following morning and told, as softly as it could be broken, that Speight had died. 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 started shouting for Christopher to wake up. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. galatasaray leeds death 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia Thats what they were, kids. "We did amazing business in one hour. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. Holmes was there and witnessed the entire away end turning their backs to the pitch with arms raised, an act of silent defiance and dissent. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Chris and Kevin were brutally murdered in Istanbul on the eve of our UEFA Cup semi-final fixture with Galatasaray in 2000. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. You dont get it.. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. Galatasaray.org In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. 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. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia
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