galatasaray leeds death

galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. 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. 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. The second leg was totally different. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. Youre a kid. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. 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. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. 12/02/2021 . Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. 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. So Leeds did. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Anger: Leeds fans are angry that Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder has announced a new knife range on the 15th anniversary of the stabbing of two fans in Istanbul, Violence: An injured fan is taken away after riots between Leeds and Galatasaray fans before match in Turkey, Horror: A fan is escorted away from the violence by a police officer after riots between Leeds and Galatasaray fans. [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]. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. My mum flicked it straight off again. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. I genuinely feared for our lives. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". 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. They all say no. 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. . Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. Peter Hunt, the British consul general in Istanbul, had been prepared for potential trouble, as are all consuls and embassies when English fans travel abroad. Another picture, taken by the Yorkshire Evening Posts Mark Bickerdike, shows Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate stepping from the tunnel with tangible shock on their faces. Send any friend a story. 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. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. 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. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. There was the time when he was caught stealing two pounds from the pub till and sent by Speight to sit in the office until Susan came home to read the riot act. 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. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. Menu He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. The facilities are great. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. [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. 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. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. David Davies, the Football Association's executive director, called it "frankly, the least worst option". Gray, a Glaswegian, was in the Celtic end with his wife Linda on the day of the Ibrox disaster in 1971. When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? It takes a certain amount of nerve to put a foot in both camps, which is doubtless why Harry Kewell was able to do so in 2008 when he left Liverpool for the Ali Sami Yen. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. Twenty Leeds fans, witnesses to the fight, were interviewed. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. I think you just go into a downward spiral. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. 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. I prefer to remember that way. George is a regular at Leeds games but until his teens he would wait outside the stadium at the home fixture closest to the April 5 anniversary while a minutes applause played out. 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. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. I jumped in a taxi and went back to Taksim Square., He has no recollection of how he came to be at Taksim Hospital, only that he found himself there after being told that the fighting had been serious. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." 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. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. 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]. [10][12] This led to the final being considered "high risk"; 2,000 members of the Danish police were assigned to the game, with assistance from members of British and Turkish police forces. Then you turn around and Kevin and Chris are lying there., In the hospitals waiting area, Andy overheard a voice saying that one of the fatalities was one of the four brothers. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. 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? "Kevin had two young children. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. Two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray supporters before game Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. She remarried and shes carried on with her life but its still there, every time you come up to my dads birthday or the anniversary. 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. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. 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. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. 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. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! Its 20 years now but I dont think Ill ever get over it. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Away tickets were limited to 80, which effectively covered only senior Galatasaray officials. The setting was Turkeys biggest city, on the banks of the Bosphorus, and the game was the first leg of a UEFA Cup semi-final. 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. Fallows is convinced that Galatasaray and the Turkish police made deliberate attempts to rattle and unsettle away teams, forcing players to squeeze through tight lines of officers to gain entry to the ground and admitting thousands of home fans to the stadium hours before kick-off. I stood there with Eddie Gray, 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. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. Obviously he liked his football too. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. 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. 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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. The way the police and the authorities were with us. 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. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. Leeds will on Saturday afternoon mark 15 years since the deaths of supporters Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, who were stabbed by a Galatasaray fan in April 2000. The atmosphere was electric like, scarily electric. Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. Several fans offered to foot the bill. Alioski had less of a cross to bear. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. It was a load of shit. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. 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. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. The potential for trouble was as high as anything Id been involved in. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. For Leedss staff and players, the details of what had occurred in Taksim Square the night before remained sketchy until after full-time. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. He was on the scene as the club grieved and as much as any other of David OLearys players, he was in a position to fully comprehend both the impact of the killings and Galatasarays response to them. A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. ', By Both had numerous other wounds. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. With CCTV evidence, four men were indicted for murder within a week, including Ali Umit Demir, at whose flat the police found a knife stained with the blood of both victims. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . For me, it didnt feel real. [31] Nineteen of the arrested were British, thirty-six were Turkish and the rest of the arrested included people from Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. Who really cares?. That is true. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. They felt we were overreacting. In all the many layers of anger, that was one of them; the apparent inability to adopt some common decency. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. 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. 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. 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. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. [10] It was reported that members of Leeds United's Leeds United Service Crew[11] and Chelsea's Chelsea Headhunters, along with hooligans supporting Rangers, Cardiff City and Swansea City all travelled to Denmark to join Arsenal fans in attacks on Galatasaray fans. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. "We came out of a bar and there were 100 people waiting for us with machetes, knives, bits of chair and table legs and they just attacked us. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. Give our social media channels a follow . He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. Others suggested a group of Leeds supporters had attacked a lone Turk, possibly a taxi driver, who had then returned with a mob wielding knives and machetes. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. I dont know why.. galatasaray leeds death. Football is sport here and for many Istanbul residents Galatasaray - who won the league last Sunday - is football. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. So Leeds did. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Both had numerous other wounds. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. The police claim he was punched. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. Last year, on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul, The Athletic spoke to some of the people closest to the tragedy and some of the people most affected by it. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. "They came into town to see. Its a strange thing but its important to me. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. Chris and Kevin were brutally murdered in Istanbul on the eve of our UEFA Cup semi-final fixture with Galatasaray in 2000. 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. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. 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). Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. I think those who arrived later knew what to expect.". They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support.