The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. 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). 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. It sunk in quickly once we got home. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. Thats what they were, kids. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. The stadium is stuck in a state of eerie silence but this Sunday it will do what it always does on April 5 by standing in salute to the two who were lost. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. Speight was with a group of Leeds fans attacked by Turkish locals outside a bar by Istanbuls Taksim Square, sustaining a slash wound to his stomach. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. Will Griffee For Mailonline 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. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. 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. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. Tributes began to cover the gates and the Billy Bremner Statue at Elland Road. 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. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. 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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. 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. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. I got arrested which was a bad thing but also a good thing. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. 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. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. 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. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. 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. 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. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. I dont think, even to this day, that Galatasaray would see the amount of press coverage or criticism as being fairly labelled against them, Risdale says. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. 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. 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. One of our security lads had to go with the bus to a compound, some sort of a lock-up. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. 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 thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. [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. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. 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. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. Harry Kewell - Wikipedia Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. He was taken to identify the other, Chris Loftus, in the morgue after doctors mistook him for a family member. Obviously he liked his football too. Massive riots Galatasaray - Leeds / Arsenal 2000 - YouTube Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. Galatasaray football player Wesley Sneijder has released a commemorative knife set - on the 15th anniversary of the fatal stabbing of two Leeds fans by Turkish supporters. As. Jesus. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. I feel sorry for her, George says. 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 Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. "Kevin had two young children. 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. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. Further information on the Istanbul violence: "Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell", "16 Hardcore Hooligan Firms, Ultras Groups We Wouldn't Want to Mess with", "Soldiers join hooligans to attack Turks in Cup clash", "Town in fear as drunken English pour in", "Arsenal-Galatasaray, sous le signe de la violence", "English, Turkish fans clash on eve final", "Copenhagen police overrun as soccer fans cause mayhem", "Folkefest endte i vold og masseslagsml", "Surprise attack by Arsenal fans seeking revenge sparked battle", "Violence erupts again as English and Turkish football fans riot in Copenhagen", "Danish police fear more brawls after European soccer final", "Violence overshadows historic soccer victory", "Charleroi lobby yet to learn lessons of Heysel", "Turkish and English fans clash at airport", "Galatasaray Wins UEFA Cup After Day of Rioting by Fans", "England told: more rioting and you're out", "Piers Morgan On Arsenal, Foreign Ownership and Twitter Rants", "SPORTS - The shadow on the UEFA Cup triumph", "How long until Turk fans cause another death on the pitch? But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. 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. BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. 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 . galatasaray leeds death. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Everything was muddled. You dont get it.. They ploughed on regardless, much like UEFA, and left Ridsdale thinking that their directors were more worried about distancing themselves from the stabbings than helping Leeds cope with them. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. 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. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. 2023 BBC. They know what he did for us.. The problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. And thats without even mentioning what had gone on the night before with the two lads who were killed. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. 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. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion Some headed for the James Joyce pub 200 metres away and joined a sing-song against Galatasaray. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. Hed just met a girl. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". . Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 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. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. 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. . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. The passing of time is there in all of them. Youre a kid. It was a load of shit. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. Andy got a pint at the bar. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. ', By There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. galatasaray leeds death Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray.