', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! [45] It later arose that the majority of the people in the photos were either not involved or had been acting in self-defence. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. galatasaray leeds death Something went wrong, please try again later. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Surprise me? They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. 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. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. 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. 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. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. [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. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. [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. 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. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Its a game. Exclusive: Leeds icon Martyn on 21st anniversary of Galatasaray murders I think you just go into a downward spiral. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. 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. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. I cant explain it but I got this weird feeling, he says. 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. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. 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 . [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 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. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. 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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. In the first leg it was difficult to say, Lets get out there do it for the two lads because we didnt have the full picture, Gray says. Though the versions of Leeds fans and Turkish witnesses are almost entirely at odds, it appears the trouble started in the city's entertainment district outside the Riddim reggae bar in Buyuk Parmakkapi Street. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. [2] Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. I was amazed, he says. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. Leeds fans furious as Alioski's move to Galatasaray nears completion 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. [47] Michael Doherty, the chairman of the Communication Workers Union, and his brother Tom took Royal Mail to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal claiming they had been acting in self-defence. 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. 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. Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. I am not sure if the first few expected fighting but I saw one guy running to a telephone to call his friends after he saw the English. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. [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. This led to 19 injuries, including 4 stabbings, and 60 arrests with similar events occurring in England and Turkey in the aftermath of the riots. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Try a week on us. The way the police and the authorities were with us. , updated 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. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George 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. . 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 Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. 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? Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. Youre a kid. Turkish man jailed for stabbing deaths of Leeds fans You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. In the weeks after the deaths, he offered them emotional and financial assistance (the family declined to take any money) and would phone Susan regularly to keep in touch. BBC News | EUROPE | Turkey still angry over fans' behaviour His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. 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. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. 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. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. Holmes was there and witnessed the entire away end turning their backs to the pitch with arms raised, an act of silent defiance and dissent. 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. 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand 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 . The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. [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]. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Disgusting. I like that they remember him. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. So Leeds did. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. They know what he did for us.. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. 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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. Life is good. A couple of lads came back to the hotel on their own and when I asked where the rest of them were, they didnt know. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Try a week on us. 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 phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. 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 It wasnt a proper A&E unit. Read about our approach to external linking. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. There was nothing you could say to him. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. 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 always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. The problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how Galatasaray dealt with that tragedy By Phil Hay Jul 24, 2021 In the early hours of the morning after the death of two Leeds. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. The only thing I could compare it to is the One Love concert in Manchester (held after the terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena in 2017) and thats purely because of how difficult the logistics of One Love were, he says. "Kevin had two young children. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. 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. 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). "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. But it was common sense. The police were doing nothing to stop them. It was a haunting moment then and it haunts me now. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. [12] However, there were conflicting reports, with claims that some Galatasaray fans were instigating some of the violence. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. 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]. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. Those killed were "attackers", it said. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. 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. Through different eyes and different viewpoints, a picture built up of the disregard and indifference with which they had been treated by those they looked to for help. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains.
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