I went off the rails, he says. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. By that stage he was exhausted. The families of the victims will tell you that. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. 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. , updated Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. galatasaray leeds death. The images of that never grow old. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. 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. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. 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. From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. 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. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. Will Griffee For Mailonline Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. 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. 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. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. 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. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Leeds United fans' deaths in Turkey 20 years ago 'feels like - BBC 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. Surprise 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. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. 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. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. Galatasaray beat English team Leeds United but their matches were marred by violence: two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death before their semi-final first leg at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul on 6 April 2000. galatasaray leeds death UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. "We did amazing business in one hour. 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. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. 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. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Loftus had already been pronounced dead and in the melee, hospital staff mistakenly assumed Ridsdale was a relative and took him downstairs to the mortuary. 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. 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. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. Everything happened in a flash. It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. 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. They had been a couple since their teens. As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. Christopher's brother was there [at the time of the incident] and I think that the impact on those two families can never be underestimated.". 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. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. It was only when Gray arrived home that his parents asked if he was OK and told him about the many Rangers fans who had died. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. I dont know why.. 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. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. 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. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. When the second leg came round, in the dressing room we were trying to say, Come on, lets get stuck into them. But in the back of your mind youre putting football aside. 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. galatasaray leeds death On each trip he would set up a desk in the corridor where the team were staying, a point of contact in case of any problems. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. Anyone can read what . ", "They came to kill; Turk fans arm for war", "Arsenal worried about hooligans at UEFA Cup", "First class thugs; Postmen are caught in Copenhagen football rampage", "Post Office refuses to reinstate worker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2000_UEFA_Cup_Final_riots&oldid=1113653919, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 October 2022, at 15:57. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. But if you back out, youll forfeit the game and incur a 3-0 defeat. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. 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. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. 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. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. George is different. #RIPChrisAndKev. Leeds had worries on several fronts: maintaining the safety of other fans in the city, helping the relatives of Speight and Loftus in Turkey and at home, and deciding whether the game at the Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. 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. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. 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. And there was the time when Speight took him to Elland Road and George, in his infancy, mistakenly cheered when the opposition scored. Obviously he liked his football too. Youre a kid. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. 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 you guess these stars by their unrecognisable FIFA and PES looks? I could see in their faces how much they were raging, Fallows says. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. I didnt want to do it either. Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. They knew there had been trouble but the club made an effort to hold back some detail on the basis that if the game went ahead, they would need to concentrate on it. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. 2023 BBC. 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots - Wikipedia 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. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. My dad is ex-World Cup star and BBC pundit but I want glory in a David Davies, the Football Association's executive director, called it "frankly, the least worst option". "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. She knows who he was but its not the same.. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. 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. It was a load of shit. People speak well of him. 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. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. 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. One Love was a controlled situation. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. It was totally deliberate. Istanbul was life and death and more than focusing on Alioski himself, the attention on him generated by the very prospect of a move to Turkey itself should make us ask why it was ever allowed to come to this; a horrific episode which offered no chance of peace or proper closure.
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