For some of it we were relying on the police and the authorities without knowing if they were going to do the right things. Before England played Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in Istanbul in 2003, Englands staff got in touch with Fallows to ask for logistical advice. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. 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. 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. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. Those killed were "attackers", it said. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. The passing of time is there in all of them. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. 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). As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 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. The second leg was totally different. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. 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. 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. Everything was muddled. 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. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. 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. 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. Tuesday 5th April 2022 marks 22 years since two loyal Leeds United supporters, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, travelled to Turkey to watch their beloved team in action but tragically never returned home. Jesus. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. And it is far too late to redress that now. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. 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Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. 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. 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It was a load of shit. I feel sorry for her, George says. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. [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. Surprise me? 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. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. "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.". Andy is one of six siblings, two sisters and four brothers, and all of the boys Phil, Chris, Darren and Andy made the trip to Turkey. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. It sunk in quickly once we got home. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. Ridsdale was told by staff at the hospital that Speight was in a critical condition and needed an urgent transfusion but that the blood had to be paid for. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. "We came out of a bar and there were 100 people waiting for us with machetes, knives, bits of chair and table legs and they just attacked us. 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 . Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. 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. 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. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. [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. 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. . Life is good. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. My sympathy was with them. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. So Leeds did. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. 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. "They were screaming all sorts of things. How the violence started is unclear. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. It didnt sit right with me. The deaths of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus on the night before Leeds played their Uefa Cup semi-final first leg with Galatasaray - 20 years ago yesterday - represent one of the darkest and. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. [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. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. 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]. 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. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". [24] It was claimed that the police failed to control the riots,[43] and that they had been undermanned and outmaneuvered, to which Mogens Lauridsen, the police chief in Copenhagen admitted that the police had been "under-prepared". 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. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. People speak well of him. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. I didnt want to do it either. 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. Thats what they were, kids. Your choice, the official replied. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. 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. 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. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . [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. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. And worse things too. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. I think you just go into a downward spiral. 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. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. It takes a certain amount of nerve to put a foot in both camps, which is doubtless why Harry Kewell was able to do so in 2008 when he left Liverpool for the Ali Sami Yen. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. 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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. By that stage he was exhausted. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. 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. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. Amid the fall-out and a world of shock in Leeds, Ridsdale suggested that the second leg at Elland Road would be safer without away fans. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Peter Hunt, the British consul general in Istanbul, had been prepared for potential trouble, as are all consuls and embassies when English fans travel abroad. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. 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. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe.
How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. 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. She knows who he was but its not the same.. 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. Will Griffee For Mailonline
Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. 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. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. They all say no. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. It was horrible. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. 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. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. 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. There was nothing you could say to him. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. I genuinely feared for our lives. 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. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. [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. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. 2023 BBC. [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]. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. 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 . He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. "There's a lot of anger. As a free agent, he had a decision to make about how best to look after himself with his 30th birthday coming next year (and in the end, looking after himself meant joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia last night). People know me because of my dad, he says. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. 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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. On each trip he would set up a desk in the corridor where the team were staying, a point of contact in case of any problems. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. I say that as someone who was back at his hotel when the stabbings occurred, he would be one of the last people to blame. 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 complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. [41] It was noted by Turkish newspaper, Radikal that cannabis was being freely traded in the city square during the time before the riots, and the police did nothing about it. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. 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 police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. 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. [50] In 2012 Piers Morgan, the editor of the Daily Mirror at the time and a high-profile Arsenal fan who attended the match, apologised for printing the pictures. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Loftus had already been pronounced dead and in the melee, hospital staff mistakenly assumed Ridsdale was a relative and took him downstairs to the mortuary. 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. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. 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. [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. [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. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. We catch up at the cafe in an Asda store near his home in Killingbeck and he speaks bravely but reluctantly; not because he wants to but because he thinks he should, for the sake of his brother Chriss memory. [21] This lasted 20 minutes[19] before the Danish police attempted to break up the melee with dogs[22] and tear gas. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish.
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