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2023 BBC. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. 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. 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). Alioski had less of a cross to bear. As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. Life is good. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. 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. The police claim he was punched. Try a week on us. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. Tuesday 5th April 2022 marks 22 years since two loyal Leeds United supporters, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, travelled to Turkey to watch their beloved team in action but tragically never returned home. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? Its completely different. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? Everything happened in a flash. 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. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. 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. A streetwise Mancunian, he has looked after Oasis, Noel Gallagher and Take That and on the morning when we speak hes at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, organising staff for a gig by The Script. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Several fans offered to foot the bill. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). [4], It was not clear how the fight started, with reports of it either being started by Leeds fans throwing beer glasses and insulting the Turkish flag,[5] or being started by Galatasaray fans throwing chairs. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. And worse things too. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The Galatasaray fans were later attacked from behind by members of British hooligan firms seeking revenge for the Istanbul stabbings. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. 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. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. 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. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. pleasant grove high school / staff directory; dr omar suleiman wife esraa; ontario road trip summer; song baseball apple; waltham athletic club tennis schedule; galatasaray leeds death. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. ", "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. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. 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 Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. George understands why but wishes with hindsight that he had been there. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. ', By 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. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Give our social media channels a follow . 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. 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. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. 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. The Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. "We did amazing business in one hour. 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. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. 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. 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. In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. 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. 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 only when Gray arrived home that his parents asked if he was OK and told him about the many Rangers fans who had died. It was a load of shit. 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. 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. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. 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. . [15] In the fight, Paul Dineen, an Arsenal fan, was stabbed, leading to Arsenal offering fans refunds if they did not want to fly to the game. 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 . The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. [26] There were further clashes at the airport the day after the game. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. 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. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. 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. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. 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 Read about our approach to external linking. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. 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. Jesus. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. 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. It was totally deliberate. They reported that as one of them tried to give the kiss of life to Mr Loftus, he was set upon. He had been in touch with the Turkish authorities, and with Chief Superintendent Steve Matthews from West Yorkshire police, who travels abroad with Leeds fans on away trips, and his team of three or four officers acting as "spotters". "Once more English hooligans, once more, blood," said the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper. 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From my point of view I was only interested in getting that game over and done with as safely as possible. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. After travelling to the Turkish capital to follow the club, Mr Speight and Mr Loftus were attacked with machetes when a row broke out between rival fans. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. [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]. 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. [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. 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. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. The images of that never grow old. 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. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. I think you just go into a downward spiral. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. I was amazed, he says. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, George and Holly Speight with Peter Ridsdale after their fathers death. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. , updated The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. 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. 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. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. There is very little about the football which Ridsdale cares to remember and at the 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. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. It felt to me like the police were trying to frighten us, he says. 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. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. 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. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. #RIPChrisAndKev. They all say no. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. It is wrong to presume to tell those who were affected by the events in Istanbul how to feel or how to react to a player taking Galatasarays money. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. Menu My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. 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. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. My mum just felt she had to move on. They know what he did for us.. [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. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. Confusion reigned. 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. He has never spoken about his memories of Turkey before but, like Andy Loftus, says he wants to reflect 20 years on. People speak well of him. 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. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. 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. 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.

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