Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion 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. 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. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. 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 . 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's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? 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. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. 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'. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. It didnt sit right with me. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. I feel everything: anger, sadness. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. 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. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. 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. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. 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. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. 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. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. 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. 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. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. I was so pleased to get on the plane out of Turkey but once I got back and thought about things, the reality of two lads dying out there got to me. 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. galatasaray leeds death It was horrible. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. 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. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. 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). Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. 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 had no direct contact with Galatasarays security officials but Fallows and Harry Stokoe, Leedss stadium manager, were able to visit the Ali Sami Yen the day before the game to map the venue out. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. Galatasaray player apologises to Leeds fans for knife tweet For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. They all say no. 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. They ploughed on regardless, much like UEFA, and left Ridsdale thinking that their directors were more worried about distancing themselves from the stabbings than helping Leeds cope with them. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. Life is good. 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. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. 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 Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. 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 Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. 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. 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. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. The families of the victims will tell you that. Try a week on us. 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. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. Disgusting. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. 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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. [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. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. 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. 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. You dont get it.. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. 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. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. 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. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. 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. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 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 . At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. [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. The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV [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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. 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. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. 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. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." 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. Fri 7 Apr 2000 20.36 EDT. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. 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. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. No question.. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. 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. There was the time when the pub opened its doors early to allow the locals to catch an early kick-off between Leeds and Manchester United. 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. Manchester United and Chelsea had contested European ties at the 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. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. 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 Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. 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. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. By that stage he was exhausted. Man United respond to Leeds hostility with thrilling win as Harry [27], At Parken Stadium, where the final was to be played, the police erected iron fencing outside to separate the Arsenal and Galatasaray fans as a precaution. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. For long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. 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. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. She knows who he was but its not the same.. They know what he did for us.. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds Obviously he liked his football too. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. 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. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia 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. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. The police were doing nothing to stop them. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. Will Griffee For Mailonline I thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. 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. Andy got a pint at the bar. 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. 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. 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 Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. 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. I dont know why.. I feel sorry for her, George says. "There's a lot of anger. galatasaray leeds death "Kevin had two young children. Leeds head of security at the game recalled police officers lining the corridors in Galatasarays ground as the players emerged from the dressing room; an attempt, in his eyes, to intimidate them as they prepared to go onto the pitch. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Galatasaray fans attempted to provoke the Arsenal fans in the bars, and the two sides began chanting at each other until bottles were thrown from both sides around 16:00. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. 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 . Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links Thats what they were, kids. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. I was amazed, he says. Can you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. Turk admits stabbing murdered Leeds fan | Soccer | The Guardian Speight was with a group of Leeds fans attacked by Turkish locals outside a bar by Istanbuls Taksim Square, sustaining a slash wound to his stomach. 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. And it is far too late to redress that now. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. 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. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. galatasaray leeds death. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. 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. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. HONEYTRAP HELL: Watch the moment dad lets two women into flat who seduced and drugged him before stabbing him to death over fake Rolex he'd shown off online, Moment sonic boom 'like a gas explosion' shakes homes as RAF Typhoon aircraft scrambled, Spencer Matthews sparks concern as Finding Michael documentary pulled at 11th hour, Cyclist pavement killer risks losing home as neighbours break silence, BREAKING: Max Verstappen takes Bahrain GP pole as Fernando Alonso gets one over Lewis Hamilton, Defiant Prince Andrew seen smiling amid royal eviction clash with King Charles, BREAKING: Bus carrying 40 schoolchildren plunges down creek in French Alps, Matt Hancock's 41-hour battle to save career after Gina Coladangelo affair revealed, Art Attack legend Neil Buchanan unrecognisable after quitting TV role for rock band, Saturday Kitchen fans in hysterics as guest repeats X-rated word live on BBC, Harry has 'NOTHING TO LOSE' after Frogmore eviction as he prepares for trauma tell-all, Woman, who was over drink-drive limit, dies in crash on way home from work at club, Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers.