on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. My sympathy was with them. He was on the scene as the club grieved and as much as any other of David OLearys players, he was in a position to fully comprehend both the impact of the killings and Galatasarays response to them. 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. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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 . And I still blame myself a lot.. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. People know me because of my dad, he says. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Try a week on us. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. 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. It sunk in quickly once we got home. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. 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. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. Ali Umit . Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. 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. I went off the rails, he says. Its a game. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. 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. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. 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. 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 Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. Its completely different. Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. But if you back out, youll forfeit the game and incur a 3-0 defeat. 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. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Give our social media channels a follow . [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 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. When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. People speak well of him. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. 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". The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. Menu "They came into town to see. [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. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. 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. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. 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. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. 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. As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. 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. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". 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. There was nothing you could say to him. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. 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. ', By 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. Leeds will on Saturday afternoon mark 15 years since the deaths of supporters Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, who were stabbed by a Galatasaray fan in April 2000. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. I am just trying to come to terms with the fact that I have seen a dead body for the first time in 10 years. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. [34] The Copenhagen riots followed a long line of similar events involving English football fans, and in June, UEFA's executive committee listed the Heysel Stadium disaster, disorders in Charleroi and Brussels, the killing of the two Leeds fans in Istanbul, and the Copenhagen riots and warned the British government that if there was any more rioting then England would be expelled from Euro 2000. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. 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. Manchester United and Chelsea had contested European ties at the 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. Demir was allowed to undertake national service with the Turkish military before being convicted for a second time in June 2007 and sentenced to 80 months. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. Read about our approach to external linking. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. 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. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. 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. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. 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. 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. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and 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. 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. I feel sorry for her, George says. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. The Turkish. I didnt want to do it either. It was horrible. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. Given that context and these examples only really scratch the surface of everything that happened in April 2000 there was no way in which a player like Gjanni Alioski could consider leaving Leeds and joining Galatasaray, as he did for many months, without bracing himself for a tense political path and the objection he encountered online. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! 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. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. For me, it didnt feel real. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper.
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