A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia Alioski had less of a cross to bear. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. 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. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. pleasant grove high school / staff directory; dr omar suleiman wife esraa; ontario road trip summer; song baseball apple; waltham athletic club tennis schedule; galatasaray leeds death. Obviously he liked his football too. Everything happened in a flash. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. 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. Andy was jailed in 2013 for his part in a fight between Leeds and Tottenham Hotspur fans in which a Spurs supporter was knocked unconscious. They will never be forgotten.. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. 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. [2] Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. [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. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. 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. People speak well of him. [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. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. The Turkish media blamed the Leeds fans. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. 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. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. [35] In response, Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: Hopefully this threat will bring to their senses anyone tempted to continue the mindless thuggery that had brought such shame to the country.[35]. [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. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. 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 passing of time is there in all of them. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. I went off the rails, he says. My mum flicked it straight off again. 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. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. 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. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. How the violence started is unclear. A lot of what went on I dont want to know. Thats what they were, kids. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. [21] This lasted 20 minutes[19] before the Danish police attempted to break up the melee with dogs[22] and tear gas. [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. Galatasaray.org Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. Tuesday 5th April 2022 marks 22 years since two loyal Leeds United supporters, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, travelled to Turkey to watch their beloved team in action but tragically never returned home. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. I didnt want to do it either. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. 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. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes in April 2000 at 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray. ', By 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. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. [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. It was how away days in Europe played out. Read about our approach to external linking. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. 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. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. "There's a lot of anger. 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. 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. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. Friends and family of Speight and Loftus had congregated there and other Leeds fans were waiting with more minor injuries, some of them slash wounds. 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 . Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. 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. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. 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. galatasaray leeds death There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. I think you just go into a downward spiral. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. I dont know why.. galatasaray leeds death The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray supporters prior to the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, 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". For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. 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. Galatasaray fans attempted to provoke the Arsenal fans in the bars, and the two sides began chanting at each other until bottles were thrown from both sides around 16:00. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . I cant explain it but I got this weird feeling, he says. [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. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. My dad is ex-World Cup star and BBC pundit but I want glory in a Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. Anyone can read what . People know me because of my dad, he says. Its completely different. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. 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. 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. [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. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. They had been a couple since their teens. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. [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". Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. They know what he did for us.. But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. 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.