lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. The police had prior warning of potential trouble and deployed 2,000 officers to the area, yet they were unable to control the riot until they fired tear gas. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". 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. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. 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 . There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. I thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. 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. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. [8], The stabbings caused anger throughout the United Kingdom, and subsequently members of Arsenal's hooligan firms The Herd and The Gooners,[9] wanted to avenge the deaths of the Leeds fans, and telephoned other British hooligan firms, inviting them to join them in Copenhagen to attack Galatasaray fans. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Leeds' bitter hatred towards the Turkish side is no secret after two of their supporters, Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight, were stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans prior to the UEFA Cup. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. Leeds and Galatasaray have an extremely volatile relationship following the death of two Leeds supporters prior to the UEFA CUp semi-final back in 2000. And many have voiced their opinion on social media following a report by Football Insider that Alioski has agreed a pre-contract to join the rivals in the summer. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. 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 genuinely feared for our lives. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. Something went wrong, please try again later. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). I was totally speechless, totally shocked. Galatasaray player apologises to Leeds fans for knife tweet How the violence started is unclear. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. It was completely against your idea of law and order. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. 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. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. 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. Thats just how the system worked. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. 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. 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. 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. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 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. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. Both had numerous other wounds. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. 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. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. 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. 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. Some headed for the James Joyce pub 200 metres away and joined a sing-song against Galatasaray. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. One of our security lads had to go with the bus to a compound, some sort of a lock-up. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. And it is far too late to redress that now. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. The second leg was totally different. I feel sorry for her, George says. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. No one meant for it to happen. It didnt sit right with me. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. 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Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. Your choice, the official replied. galatasaray leeds death George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. 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. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. [50] In 2012 Piers Morgan, the editor of the Daily Mirror at the time and a high-profile Arsenal fan who attended the match, apologised for printing the pictures. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. 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. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. I feel everything: anger, sadness. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. The police claim he was punched. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were killed in Istanbul, Turkey, in April 2000, Their deaths had left a "lasting impact" on their families, a former Leeds United chairman said. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. [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. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia galatasaray leeds death. [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 was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. 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. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. 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). [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. The way the police and the authorities were with us. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. 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. So Leeds did. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. 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. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. I think you just go into a downward spiral. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. ', By The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. There was nothing you could say to him. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. The events of the day started early in the morning when skirmishes broke out in a bar, which led to an Arsenal fan being stabbed. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 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. 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. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. George is different. 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. 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. 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 like no other event he has dealt with. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. 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 Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. People speak well of him. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. Everything happened in a flash. 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 that stage he was exhausted. 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 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. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. 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. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. 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. [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. It was a load of shit. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikipedia After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. 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 . A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. I say that as someone who was back at his hotel when the stabbings occurred, he would be one of the last people to blame. 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. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. galatasaray leeds death Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or [24] It was claimed that the police failed to control the riots,[43] and that they had been undermanned and outmaneuvered, to which Mogens Lauridsen, the police chief in Copenhagen admitted that the police had been "under-prepared". [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. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. 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. In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. And worse things too. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. Several fans offered to foot the bill. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. 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. 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. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. Those killed were "attackers", it said. [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. 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. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. 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] 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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. Surprise me? I went off the rails, he says. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray 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. For me, it didnt feel real. Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder launches knife range - mirror At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. 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. #RIPChrisAndKev. Confusion reigned. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. 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. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. 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. 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The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . 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. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". 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. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV The images of that never grow old. 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]. According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. It was horrible.