[42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. 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. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. 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. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. He had been involved in the plane crash which Leeds players and coaches escaped from on the way home from a Premier League game at West Ham United in 1998. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. Try a week on us. But it was common sense. 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. I feel everything: anger, sadness. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. How the violence started is unclear. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. It was totally deliberate. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. As. Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed during street clashes the night before Leeds played Turkey's Galatasaray in the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-finals in April 2000. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. My mum just felt she had to move on. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. , updated It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. 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. I think you just go into a downward spiral. Send any friend a story. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. [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 had less of a cross to bear. For me, it didnt feel real. 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. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. That is true. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. [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. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. 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 shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. 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. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. galatasaray leeds death. It might be fair to say that the events of 2000 are a reason to dissuade a footballer with ties to Leeds from engaging with Galatasaray but not necessarily to prohibit him from signing, especially as time goes by. 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. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. Anyone can read what . No question.. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. #RIPChrisAndKev. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. 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. 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. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. Both had numerous other wounds. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 It wasnt a proper A&E unit. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. 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. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. 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. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. I cant explain it but I got this weird feeling, he says. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. 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 problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how Galatasaray dealt with that tragedy By Phil Hay Jul 24, 2021 In the early hours of the morning after the death of two Leeds. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. 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. 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. 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. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I feel sorry for her, George says. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Who really cares?. I like that they remember him. 2023 BBC. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. I didnt want to do it either. One Love was a controlled situation. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. Surprise me? Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. 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 . Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. I make no secret of that., Leeds were beaten 2-0 in Istanbul and lost over two legs after a 2-2 draw at home. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. 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. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. 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). "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. 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. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. "We did amazing business in one hour. [21] This lasted 20 minutes[19] before the Danish police attempted to break up the melee with dogs[22] and tear gas. 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. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. 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. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . It sunk in quickly once we got home. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. 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. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. By that stage he was exhausted. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. 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. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. 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. . [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 flicked it straight off again. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. The police were doing nothing to stop them. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. 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. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. And many have voiced their opinion on social media following a report by Football Insider that Alioski has agreed a pre-contract to join the rivals in the summer. 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. 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. 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. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. The passing of time is there in all of them. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Everything was muddled. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . Even so, the counterargument holds water. The images of that never grow old. The second leg was totally different. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. The Turkish. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy 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. 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 . By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. 12/02/2021 . This caused a severe riot in the city square, with several restaurant facilities used by fans to fight each other, with iron bars and knives also being used. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. 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. "They came into town to see. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. 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. 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. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. 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. Those killed were "attackers", it said. 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