I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. My sympathy was with them. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. It was completely against your idea of law and order. ", "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. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Ali Sami Yen, the stadium was so overcrowded that he had Galatasaray fans in front of him literally sat on my feet. The next day, he and Leeds players and coaching staff reached the airport, climbed on a plane and flew home. Former Leeds United Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The lasting impact has been to see the devastating effect it's had on Christopher and Kevin's families. We had hundreds of fans in Turkey, some in the air and another plane due to fly the following morning (the morning flight out from Leeds-Bradford Airport was rapidly cancelled). David Davies, the Football Association's executive director, called it "frankly, the least worst option". It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. As a free agent, he had a decision to make about how best to look after himself with his 30th birthday coming next year (and in the end, looking after himself meant joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia last night). I genuinely feared for our lives. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. 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. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. Fri 7 Apr 2000 20.36 EDT. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. [22] The riots did not spread to the stadium, although there was an attempt to pull down the fences by fans heading towards the Arsenal area of the stadium before police stopped them. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. My mum just felt she had to move on. 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. 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 manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". Those killed were "attackers", it said. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Around them, riot police are standing with shields in the air, protecting the players from what Fallows says was all sorts of things smashing off them. 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. Everything was muddled. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. We catch up at the cafe in an Asda store near his home in Killingbeck and he speaks bravely but reluctantly; not because he wants to but because he thinks he should, for the sake of his brother Chriss memory. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. "They were screaming all sorts of things. 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. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . As. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? You dont get it.. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. galatasaray leeds death. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. The passing of time is there in all of them. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. They know what he did for us.. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. [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. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, Leeds players needed protection from police with riot shields before their game against Galatasaray in 2000 (Photo: Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images). "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. Galatasaray.org Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. That is true. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. CATEGORIES . Leeds fans had planned to honour the memories of Speight and Loftus this weekend by holding up photos of the two murdered men at the home game with Blackburn Rovers. The families of the victims will tell you that. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. 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. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. 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. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. I went off the rails, he says. 2023 BBC. [38] The photos led to some postmen working for Royal Mail losing their jobs because they had been seen in the photos and in television coverage,[46] even though they had not been arrested. Massive riots Galatasaray - Leeds / Arsenal 2000 - YouTube I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. 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. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. But it was common sense. [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. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia It sunk in quickly once we got home. 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 the 21st anniversary of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus' deaths on April 5 2000, Martyn also recalls the immediate reaction of the Leeds squad . Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. 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). 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 than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. In fact, the Leeds United supporters, arriving for the first leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final with Galatasaray, were at first greeted in a way which mostly belied the Welcome to Hell banners which have traditionally greeted English teams there. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. "There's a lot of anger. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. Ali Umit . George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. [41] It was noted by Turkish newspaper, Radikal that cannabis was being freely traded in the city square during the time before the riots, and the police did nothing about it. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. 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. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. 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. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. They will never be forgotten.. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. Life is good. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. 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. 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. 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. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. 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. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. 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. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. She remarried and shes carried on with her life but its still there, every time you come up to my dads birthday or the anniversary. He 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". [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. 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. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. Twenty years on from Istanbul: the night when football became murder Gjanni Alioski Leeds to Galatasaray transfer talks end for - TEAMtalk SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." Me and the security team tried to create a bit of a cushion between them so the players werent worried about getting batoned, Fallows says. Chris and Kevin were brutally murdered in Istanbul on the eve of our UEFA Cup semi-final fixture with Galatasaray in 2000. The images are so vivid in Peter Ridsdales mind that he can describe every aspect of the hospital where Speight and Loftus were taken after they were attacked. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. Give our social media channels a follow . 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. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. 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. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. Who really cares?. galatasaray leeds death - kikuyajp.com But where Galatasaray failed, and where Ridsdale specifically felt resentment, was in grasping the scale of the tragedy and in refusing to accept that violence on the streets and a UEFA Cup tie could not be classed as unrelated events once the worst had happened. 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.. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). 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. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. [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. They felt we were overreacting and on the day of the game in Istanbul there was no attempt to make sure the match passed off safely or securely, not that I could see. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. For some of it we were relying on the police and the authorities without knowing if they were going to do the right things. Before England played Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in Istanbul in 2003, Englands staff got in touch with Fallows to ask for logistical advice. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. 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. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. 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. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. The way the police and the authorities were with us. I think you just go into a downward spiral. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. One of our security lads had to go with the bus to a compound, some sort of a lock-up. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. galatasaray leeds death Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". No one meant for it to happen. 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. [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. As a family, I dont know how you come to terms with that., Inside the Ali Sami Yen, hundreds of Leeds supporters attended the first leg as planned and were housed in a small section of yellow seats. 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. 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 Your choice, the official replied. 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. The Turkish. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Leeds United fans' deaths in Turkey 20 years ago 'feels like - BBC In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion 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. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. 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. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. 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. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. My mum flicked it straight off again. The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. Thats what they were, kids. Alioski was not part of that history but the history exists and the real story here far more significant than Alioski or any other footballer per se is the absence of any reconciliation over a night which feels as raw to those who witnessed it now as it did two decades ago; the lasting bitterness produced by a vacuum of empathy. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. 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. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. Its completely different. [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. 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. 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. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. 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. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. I was amazed, he says. zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes 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. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen.