galatasaray leeds death

His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. In the weeks after the deaths, he offered them emotional and financial assistance (the family declined to take any money) and would phone Susan regularly to keep in touch. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. 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. 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. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. [30] In total, nineteen people were injured and sixty people were arrested,[27] with 15 of the arrested being subsequently banned from attending Euro 2000. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. 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. Menu We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . I feel sorry for her, George says. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. The facilities are great. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. [10][12] This led to the final being considered "high risk"; 2,000 members of the Danish police were assigned to the game, with assistance from members of British and Turkish police forces. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. 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? He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. The Turkish. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. "Kevin had two young children. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. When the second leg came round, in the dressing room we were trying to say, Come on, lets get stuck into them. But in the back of your mind youre putting football aside. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. 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. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. My mum flicked it straight off again. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. People speak well of him. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. 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. That is true. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. 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. They all say no. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. 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. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. Andy has paid for the plaque to be cleaned a couple of times and it could do with another polish now. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. 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. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. He was showered with stickers and sweets gifts from friends who lived locally and Ridsdale, who supported both families throughout, delivered Easter eggs to the house for him and Holly. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. [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. Read about our approach to external linking. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. When they landed at Leeds-Bradford airport, a Leeds United club car was waiting to pick them up from the runaway, avoiding the cameras waiting inside. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. Your choice, the official replied. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. 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. As chairman of Leeds, he told the UEFA official that it would make sense to postpone the first leg of the semi-final which Leeds and Galatasaray were about to play. In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. 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. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. 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. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. 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. 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). Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. Its a game. They had been a couple since their teens. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. 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. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. "There's a lot of anger. 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. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . 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. [10] It was reported that members of Leeds United's Leeds United Service Crew[11] and Chelsea's Chelsea Headhunters, along with hooligans supporting Rangers, Cardiff City and Swansea City all travelled to Denmark to join Arsenal fans in attacks on Galatasaray fans. Something went wrong, please try again later. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Those killed were "attackers", it said. [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. 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. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. 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. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. It was only when Gray arrived home that his parents asked if he was OK and told him about the many Rangers fans who had died. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Andy got a pint at the bar. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! [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. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. A lot of what went on I dont want to know. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. [21] This lasted 20 minutes[19] before the Danish police attempted to break up the melee with dogs[22] and tear gas. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. 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'. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Leeds had taken over an entire corridor at the five-star Kempinski and the squad were in their rooms, ready to sleep ahead of the game the next night. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? As. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. 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. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". 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. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Read about our approach to external linking. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. "They were screaming all sorts of things. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. 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 . Several fans offered to foot the bill. The police claim he was punched. One Love was a controlled situation. 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. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. What they were seeing was pretty graphic so we said to them, Turn the tellies off, go to bed and wait for us to get some proper details. The footage was grainy and frightening, capturing a helpless Loftus with bloodstains on his shirt. I say that as someone who was back at his hotel when the stabbings occurred, he would be one of the last people to blame. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. 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. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. "We did amazing business in one hour. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. 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He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. 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. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. It didnt sit right with me. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. [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. Thats what they were, kids. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. 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. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. 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. How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. No question.. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. 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 . "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". 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. [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. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. Anyone can read what . [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. 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. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. It takes a certain amount of nerve to put a foot in both camps, which is doubtless why Harry Kewell was able to do so in 2008 when he left Liverpool for the Ali Sami Yen.

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