He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. 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. 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. No question.. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. Leeds supporters who were present denied causing trouble and the UK coroner who presided over the inquest, David Hinchliff, stated in unequivocal terms that Speight and Loftus were the innocent victims of a deliberate ambush. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. 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. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. [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. Holmes was there and witnessed the entire away end turning their backs to the pitch with arms raised, an act of silent defiance and dissent. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows 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. UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell Will Griffee For Mailonline Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. There is very little about the football which Ridsdale cares to remember and at the 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. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. 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. 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. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. It is wrong to presume to tell those who were affected by the events in Istanbul how to feel or how to react to a player taking Galatasarays money. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray 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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. 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. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. And worse things too. Anyone can read what . After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder apologises to Leeds fans over knife set 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Everything was muddled. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. As. 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. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. galatasaray leeds death The passing of time is there in all of them. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Confusion reigned. Its a strange thing but its important to me. They will never be forgotten.. 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. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. 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. The way the police and the authorities were with us. 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. 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. . Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. "When you see a man having to identify the body of his brother with a massive stab wound in his chest it just isn't what you'd associate with football.". Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. 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. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. I didnt want to do it either. When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. "They came into town to see. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. They had been a couple since their teens. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. 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. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. [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 blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. Both had numerous other wounds. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. 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. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. Turk admits stabbing murdered Leeds fan | Soccer | The Guardian He said getting involved in charity work and fundraisers, including running half-marathons in memory of his brother, had helped him to deal with his sibling's death. 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 . The Turkish. Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. For me, it didnt feel real. For long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. 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. [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. 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. 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. Life is good. [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. #RIPChrisAndKev. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. 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. It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. Obviously he liked his football too. It sunk in quickly once we got home. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." It triggered something and I ran into the ward. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. Andy got a pint at the bar. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. One Love was a controlled situation. My mum flicked it straight off again. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. 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. 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. Its a game. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. My sympathy was with them. My mum just felt she had to move on. galatasaray leeds death. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. They know what he did for us.. They all say no. Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. Both families come here each April 5, to lay flowers and let another year pass. 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. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. I was amazed, he says. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. 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. [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. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. 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 just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. ', By Even so, the counterargument holds water. 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. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. It didnt sit right with me. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia 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. 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. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. Try a week on us. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. 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. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. 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 . This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed during street clashes the night before Leeds played Turkey's Galatasaray in the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-finals in April 2000. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. 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He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. Some Arsenal fans reacted negatively to the news, claiming that there was still bad blood between the two sets of supporters and were concerned that there would be a resumption of hostilities between them.[51]. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. 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). galatasaray leeds death. 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. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. 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. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. [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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. 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 road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning.
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