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[7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. 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. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. 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. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. "We did amazing business in one hour. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. They had been a couple since their teens. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. 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. . Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. 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? The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. 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. 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. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Several fans offered to foot the bill. Both had numerous other wounds. 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. 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. 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). My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he 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. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. 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. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. 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. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. 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. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. It was horrible. 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. Those killed were "attackers", it said. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. 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. 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's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. 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. [34] The Copenhagen riots followed a long line of similar events involving English football fans, and in June, UEFA's executive committee listed the Heysel Stadium disaster, disorders in Charleroi and Brussels, the killing of the two Leeds fans in Istanbul, and the Copenhagen riots and warned the British government that if there was any more rioting then England would be expelled from Euro 2000. 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. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or 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. So Leeds did. 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. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. 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 . The police were doing nothing to stop them. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. She knows who he was but its not the same.. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. 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. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. [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. One Love was a controlled situation. I got arrested which was a bad thing but also a good thing. 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I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. That is true. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. [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. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. 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. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. 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. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! 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. Both had numerous other wounds. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. galatasaray leeds death Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". 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 . Ali Umit . 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. [22] The riots did not spread to the stadium, although there was an attempt to pull down the fences by fans heading towards the Arsenal area of the stadium before police stopped them. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? 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. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. 12/02/2021 . Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. 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. 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. Then you turn around and Kevin and Chris are lying there., In the hospitals waiting area, Andy overheard a voice saying that one of the fatalities was one of the four brothers. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. I went off the rails, he says. 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. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. 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. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. galatasaray leeds death - kikuyajp.com 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. 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. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia And I still blame myself a lot.. 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. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." It was totally deliberate. Jesus. [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. People speak well of him. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Anyone can read what . 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Massive riots Galatasaray - Leeds / Arsenal 2000 - YouTube 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. Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. 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. [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. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. A lot of what went on I dont want to know. 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. 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. 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. 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. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. [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. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. 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. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. 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. I thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . 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. 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. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." 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 first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. 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. 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. In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. The second leg was totally different. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. 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 wanted me from the start. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. The facilities are great. 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. Former Leeds United Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The lasting impact has been to see the devastating effect it's had on Christopher and Kevin's families. Exclusive: Leeds icon Martyn on 21st anniversary of Galatasaray murders Even so, the counterargument holds water. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. 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. I like that they remember him. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. Will Griffee For Mailonline Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. They knew there had been trouble but the club made an effort to hold back some detail on the basis that if the game went ahead, they would need to concentrate on it. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. Something went wrong, please try again later. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! 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. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. 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. 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.