Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. The way the police and the authorities were with us. 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. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. It was a load of shit.
2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia 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? As. I like that they remember him. It was completely against your idea of law and order. 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. Last year, on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul, The Athletic spoke to some of the people closest to the tragedy and some of the people most affected by it. "They were screaming all sorts of things. And I still blame myself a lot.. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. Thats just how the system worked. Football and Leedss financial collapse made Ridsdale persona non grata at Elland Road but George says his mums face lit up when she heard that he was being interviewed for this article. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. 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. 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. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. 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. Try a week on us. I feel sorry for her, George says. In the early hours of the morning after the death of two Leeds United supporters in Istanbul, Peter Ridsdale met with a delegate from UEFA at one of the citys police stations. 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. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. 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. Andy got a pint at the bar. 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. This year is the 20th anniversary of the mens deaths in Istanbul and many of their relatives carry those events as if they happened yesterday.
Man United respond to Leeds hostility with thrilling win as Harry Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. 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. Both families come here each April 5, to lay flowers and let another year pass.
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. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. The second leg was totally different. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. A streetwise Mancunian, he has looked after Oasis, Noel Gallagher and Take That and on the morning when we speak hes at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, organising staff for a gig by The Script. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. 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. [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. 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.
galatasaray leeds death Amid the fall-out and a world of shock in Leeds, Ridsdale suggested that the second leg at Elland Road would be safer without away fans. 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. Even so, the counterargument holds water. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. 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. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. 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. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. But it was common sense. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. 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. 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. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing.
galatasaray leeds death Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. [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 police told us themselves that the shoe-shine boys had been trailing us for a while, waiting to see when some of us had split away from the main group.. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. 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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. That is true. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. 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. 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. 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. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes They just looked at me like I was stupid.. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous evening were rapidly sinking in and for those who were closest to it, the images wont fade.
He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. [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. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed.
Galatasaray tragedy will stay with Leeds United and Eirik Bakke forever George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. 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. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. It didnt sit right with me. 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. [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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. Obviously he liked his football too. 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. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. Galatasaray football player Wesley Sneijder has released a commemorative knife set - on the 15th anniversary of the fatal stabbing of two Leeds fans by Turkish supporters. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. Turkish Prime Minister Blent Ecevit also made a call for fans to avoid violence after the riots, stating: Sports should be an initiative for friendship, not for fighting. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. 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.
Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce.
Galatasaray - Detailed squad 22/23 | Transfermarkt 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. 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.
Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. 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. One Love was a controlled situation.
Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. 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 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Give our social media channels a follow . [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. You dont get it.. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says.
Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror Past present or future..', A second added: 'Would much rather see one of the u23s get a chance at lb than Alioski for the rest of the season. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. Both had numerous other wounds. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. Four people were stabbed in the scuffles, which also involved fans from other clubs and were viewed by the media as part of a retaliation for the killing of two Leeds United fans by Galatasaray supporters the month before. By that stage he was exhausted. After travelling to the Turkish capital to follow the club, Mr Speight and Mr Loftus were attacked with machetes when a row broke out between rival fans. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. I genuinely feared for our lives. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. 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. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. It was horrible. . Im not sure Ive even processed it now. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence.