Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". ", "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. 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. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. 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. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. For long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. Anyone can read what . We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. 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. I like that they remember him. 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. Galatasaray player apologises to Leeds fans for knife tweet Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. 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). Jesus. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. 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. 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. 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]. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. Menu Your choice, the official replied. Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion 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.". Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. What they were seeing was pretty graphic so we said to them, Turn the tellies off, go to bed and wait for us to get some proper details. The footage was grainy and frightening, capturing a helpless Loftus with bloodstains on his shirt. The images of that never grow old. 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. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray People know me because of my dad, he says. Later in the evening, a group of around 20 Leeds supporters broke off and found their way to the Riddim bar near Taksim Square, the huge expanse in the centre of Istanbul which was filled with places to eat and drink. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. As. Every year, the families of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus place wreathes at the plaque and go together for a drink, to catch up and reflect. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. I dont think, even to this day, that Galatasaray would see the amount of press coverage or criticism as being fairly labelled against them, Risdale says. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. galatasaray leeds death It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. 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. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. 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. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United 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. 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. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. 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. By that stage he was exhausted. 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. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. "We did amazing business in one hour. The problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how 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. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds Can you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? [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. The police claim he was punched. I went off the rails, he says. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. And worse things too. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. 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. 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. The Turkish. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. 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. The facilities are great. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. No question.. My mum flicked it straight off again. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. Try a week on us. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. It was a load of shit. 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. Thats just how the system worked. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ali Umit . 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. pleasant grove high school / staff directory; dr omar suleiman wife esraa; ontario road trip summer; song baseball apple; waltham athletic club tennis schedule; galatasaray leeds death. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell 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. Both had numerous other wounds. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. 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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. 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. 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? CATEGORIES . The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. [2] Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. 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. Galatasaray - Detailed squad 22/23 | Transfermarkt 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. Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. 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. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. A lot of what went on I dont want to know. 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. 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. (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). [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. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". 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. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. Turk admits stabbing murdered Leeds fan | Soccer | The Guardian The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. 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. 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. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. 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. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. When the press came round, me and my cousin would bounce on my bed to try and get in the photos and in the papers. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. So Leeds did. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror But it was common sense. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. 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. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. 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. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. 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. Gjanni Alioski Leeds to Galatasaray transfer talks end for - TEAMtalk
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