When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. 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. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. My mum flicked it straight off again. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. 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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. [21] This lasted 20 minutes[19] before the Danish police attempted to break up the melee with dogs[22] and tear gas. Try a week on us. It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". Nigel Martyn has exclusively told LeedsUnited.News that playing against Galatasaray in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000 - just 24 hours after the murders of two Leeds fans - is to this day, his biggest regret in football. The passing of time is there in all of them. Andy has paid for the plaque to be cleaned a couple of times and it could do with another polish now. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. 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. SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds So Leeds did. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. They know what he did for us.. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. 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. 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. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. Life is good. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. Will Griffee For Mailonline I dont know why.. 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. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. The morning after Loftus and Speight were killed, Fallows and Stokoe were asked by Ridsdale to visit every hotel where the clubs supporters were staying. 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 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. It was horrible. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. 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. Give our social media channels a follow . I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. The death of the two Leeds fans in street fighting in central Istanbul on Wednesday turned Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium into an armed camp, with 10,000 police patrolling in and around the . ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. 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 Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray supporters prior to the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. 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 . I spent the whole night thinking, What are we doing here? And when the Leeds fans turned their backs to the pitch, total respect to them because the football meant nothing. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. 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. Obviously he liked his football too. Galatasaray player apologises to Leeds fans for knife tweet [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. 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. 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. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. 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. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links 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. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. , updated The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. Both had numerous other wounds. [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. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans Those killed were "attackers", it said. 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. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. 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. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. He can picture the facade as he entered and the floorplan of the area where other injured Leeds fans had congregated; where Speight lay on an operating table, desperate for surgery. One Love was a controlled situation. Anyone can read what . 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. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. 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. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Surprise me? I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. 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. "There's a lot of anger. 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. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. 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. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. I genuinely feared for our lives. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. 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. 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. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. galatasaray leeds death. He had been in touch with the Turkish authorities, and with Chief Superintendent Steve Matthews from West Yorkshire police, who travels abroad with Leeds fans on away trips, and his team of three or four officers acting as "spotters". 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. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. [38] In Turkey, the media portrayed Galatasaray fans as acting in self-defence, with criticism directed at the British fans for allegedly attacking members of the press. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. Several fans offered to foot the bill. 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. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. 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. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. 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'. ", "They came to kill; Turk fans arm for war", "Arsenal worried about hooligans at UEFA Cup", "First class thugs; Postmen are caught in Copenhagen football rampage", "Post Office refuses to reinstate worker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2000_UEFA_Cup_Final_riots&oldid=1113653919, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 October 2022, at 15:57. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. I feel everything: anger, sadness. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. 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. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. Everything happened in a flash. 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. 12/02/2021 . [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. 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. [5] As a result of the stabbings, Leeds United banned Galatasaray fans from attending the second leg at Elland Road, claiming that the safety of fans could not be guaranteed. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set 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. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Its a strange thing but its important to me. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. 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. . Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. 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. I like that they remember him. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. Picture gallery: A black night for football, Fans urged to take steps to raise charity funds at home of Bradford City, Josh Richardson remains in critical condition after Thailand crash, Rob Burrow: Shock as vandals target Leeds Beckett Student Union mural dedicated to Leeds Rhinos legend, New data reveals train commuters spend up to 2450 more a year than car-owning colleagues, Wakey Wines viral TikTok shop owner responds after police drugs raid: All we sell is Prime & WFD sweets, Lonely Leeds man bravely reaches out for friends on Facebook as hundreds offer support and love, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. [35] In response, Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: Hopefully this threat will bring to their senses anyone tempted to continue the mindless thuggery that had brought such shame to the country.[35]. 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. 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. 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. According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. 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. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. Ali Umit . He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. David Davies, the Football Association's executive director, called it "frankly, the least worst option". The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. 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). The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. The facilities are great. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. [4], It was not clear how the fight started, with reports of it either being started by Leeds fans throwing beer glasses and insulting the Turkish flag,[5] or being started by Galatasaray fans throwing chairs. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". Send any friend a story. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. I feel sorry for her, George says. 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. 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.
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galatasaray leeds death