The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. Youre a kid. 2023 BBC.
Galatasaray tragedy will stay with Leeds United and Eirik Bakke forever Try a week on us. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? One Love was a controlled situation. 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 have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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 Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. "They were screaming all sorts of things. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders.
Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray 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. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. 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?
SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. [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. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. [2] I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. 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. You dont get it.. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000
Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. Life is good.
Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. 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. Thats just how the system worked. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. [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. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. [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]. US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings.
Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans I feel sorry for her, George says. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. 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. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. Its that attitude of, They must have gone looking for it. All the stuff about cars being tipped over, us disrespecting their women if youd been there, youd know. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. It sunk in quickly once we got home. 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. There was nothing you could say to him.
BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour It was how away days in Europe played out. With CCTV evidence, four men were indicted for murder within a week, including Ali Umit Demir, at whose flat the police found a knife stained with the blood of both victims. How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. 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.
Twenty years on from Istanbul: the night when football became murder The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. Disgusting. 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. 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. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. 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. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Some headed for the James Joyce pub 200 metres away and joined a sing-song against Galatasaray. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. 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). Acquittal plea in soccer death trial.
Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. Both had numerous other wounds. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. It was completely against your idea of law and order. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan.
At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. 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. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. No one meant for it to happen. "There's a lot of anger. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. I like that they remember him. (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). The facilities are great. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen.
galatasaray leeds death 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. 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. 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. They had been a couple since their teens. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. So Leeds did. [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.
Confusion reigned. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. The police were doing nothing to stop them. 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. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." I didnt want to do it either. Its completely different. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. 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 supporters who were present denied causing trouble and the UK coroner who presided over the inquest, David Hinchliff, stated in unequivocal terms that Speight and Loftus were the innocent victims of a deliberate ambush. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. Alioski had less of a cross to bear. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who .
Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright.
The police claim he was punched. Menu 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. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. The death of the two Leeds fans in street fighting in central Istanbul on Wednesday turned Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium into an armed camp, with 10,000 police patrolling in and around the . You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. 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. 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.
Galatasaray - Detailed squad 22/23 | Transfermarkt The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. Several fans offered to foot the bill. 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. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. But it was common sense. 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. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. 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. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says.
Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. Try a week on us.
Can you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. 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. 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. 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. I was amazed, he says. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. 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. ', By
That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 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.
Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion 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. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United.