We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Its a strange thing but its important to me. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. 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 story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. 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 day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. 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 Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. One of our security lads had to go with the bus to a compound, some sort of a lock-up. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. ", "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. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. 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 How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. Even then, it was meant to be closed to the press but loads of them were there and they were being really intrusive, Fallows says. 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. 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. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. The 45-year-old was an unused sub when Leeds were defeated by Galatasaray in an infamous 1999-00 Uefa Cup semi-finals - a match that was overshadowed by the death of two Yorkshire fans in the . Try a week on us. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. 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. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. Youre a kid. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. So Leeds did. 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. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. [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. 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. Two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray supporters before game Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. Its completely different. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. Who really cares?. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. People know me because of my dad, he says. Leeds and Galatasaray have an extremely volatile relationship following the death of two Leeds supporters prior to the UEFA CUp semi-final back in 2000. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. 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. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. 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Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. And it is far too late to redress that now. Thats what they were, kids. Thats just how the system worked. 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. 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. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 [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. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. 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 am just trying to come to terms with the fact that I have seen a dead body for the first time in 10 years. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. 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. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. My mum flicked it straight off again. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. It didnt sit right with me. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. 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. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. 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. Past present or future..', A second added: 'Would much rather see one of the u23s get a chance at lb than Alioski for the rest of the season. So Leeds did. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. [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. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Istanbul was life and death and more than focusing on Alioski himself, the attention on him generated by the very prospect of a move to Turkey itself should make us ask why it was ever allowed to come to this; a horrific episode which offered no chance of peace or proper closure. "Kevin had two young children. The police were doing nothing to stop them. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. For me, it didnt feel real. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. The morning after Loftus and Speight were killed, Fallows and Stokoe were asked by Ridsdale to visit every hotel where the clubs supporters were staying. Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. Menu 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. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. 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. The way the police and the authorities were with us. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. Everything happened in a flash. 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. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. 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. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. Surprise me? 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. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? There was nothing you could say to him. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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. Both had numerous other wounds. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. 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. I feel everything: anger, sadness. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. The away supporters responded with songs about two Leeds fans who were stabbed to death in Istanbul prior to a fixture against Galatasaray in 2000. . [4], It was not clear how the fight started, with reports of it either being started by Leeds fans throwing beer glasses and insulting the Turkish flag,[5] or being started by Galatasaray fans throwing chairs. [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. CATEGORIES . My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. 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. 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. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. 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. 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. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. He can picture the facade as he entered and the floorplan of the area where other injured Leeds fans had congregated; where Speight lay on an operating table, desperate for surgery. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. 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. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. 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. It was a load of shit. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. 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. By that stage he was exhausted. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. 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 interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. 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. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. Send any friend a story.
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