Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. Chris & Kevin - Never Forgotten - Leeds United Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. Its a game. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. 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. Theyd been seeing each other for about six months.. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When we got to the bottom of the stairs they pulled out a drawer, a bit like a filing cabinet, and Christophers body was there. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. galatasaray leeds death They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." By that stage he was exhausted. 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. 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. 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. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. [22] The riots did not spread to the stadium, although there was an attempt to pull down the fences by fans heading towards the Arsenal area of the stadium before police stopped them. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. George is different. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. Some headed for the James Joyce pub 200 metres away and joined a sing-song against Galatasaray. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. 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. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. Galatasaray.org But when it came to Istanbul, he and the club were remarkable in reacting quickly and with compassion. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. It was completely against your idea of law and order. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. The police told us themselves that the shoe-shine boys had been trailing us for a while, waiting to see when some of us had split away from the main group.. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. 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. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. We catch up at the cafe in an Asda store near his home in Killingbeck and he speaks bravely but reluctantly; not because he wants to but because he thinks he should, for the sake of his brother Chriss memory. His most recent role as a club manager was at English National League side Barnet, and he is currently a first team coach at Celtic.. As a player, Kewell represented Leeds United, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart. 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. This year is the 20th anniversary of the mens deaths in Istanbul and many of their relatives carry those events as if they happened yesterday. Leeds head of security at the game recalled police officers lining the corridors in Galatasarays ground as the players emerged from the dressing room; an attempt, in his eyes, to intimidate them as they prepared to go onto the pitch. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Because I was so young and the memories arent clear, I get times when I ask myself if it really happened. Holly, as a two-year-old, was left with no memories at all. Your choice, the official replied. So Leeds did. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. It wasnt a proper A&E unit. 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. 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. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". 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. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Turk admits stabbing murdered Leeds fan | Soccer | The Guardian I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. Several fans offered to foot the bill. I dont think, even to this day, that Galatasaray would see the amount of press coverage or criticism as being fairly labelled against them, Ridsdale said last year. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. 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. At a local police station, at around 4am on April 6, Ridsdale was given a stark message by the UEFA representative who turned up there: play the game, or forfeit it and incur an automatic 3-0 defeat. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. Try a week on us. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. "Their chanting should make Ali Sami Yen [the Galatasaray stadium] hell for Leeds United.". The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. Send any friend a story. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. People speak well of him. CATEGORIES . It was how away days in Europe played out. 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. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. 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. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous evening were rapidly sinking in and for those who were closest to it, the images wont fade. The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 'There were a lot of other clubs out there but this is perfect for me. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. Jesus. Around them, riot police are standing with shields in the air, protecting the players from what Fallows says was all sorts of things smashing off them. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. 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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. SOCCER; Amid Heightened Security, Galatasaray Defeats Leeds But it was common sense. I was getting into trouble, drinking and fighting. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. Gjanni Alioski Leeds to Galatasaray transfer talks end for - TEAMtalk One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. [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. [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. I feel sorry for her, George says. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, 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". He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. The Danish police were also criticized for their mishandling of the riots. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. Every year, the families of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus place wreathes at the plaque and go together for a drink, to catch up and reflect. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. I thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. Even so, the counterargument holds water. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. Andys last memory of Chris is of him rolling his eyes sarcastically and ribbing him for leaving early, in brotherly style. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. The way the police and the authorities were with us. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. galatasaray leeds death 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence - Wikiwand Both had numerous other wounds. For me, it didnt feel real. Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. 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]. 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.
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