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This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". 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. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. 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. 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. . 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. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. 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 When the hospital said they were short of blood supplies, Ridsdale sent his chauffeur off to get more. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. Everyones different., A brass plaque commemorating Speight and Lofus was set into brickwork outside Elland Road in 2001. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . ', And: 'Alioski can f*** off, he obviously knows the history between the two clubs.'. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. [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. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. 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. 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. [18] Arsenal fans congregated in nearby bars. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. I say that as someone who was back at his hotel when the stabbings occurred, he would be one of the last people to blame. 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. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. Jesus. 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. 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 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. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. 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. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. They all say no. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. [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. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. ', Some wrote stronger messages, such as: 'Washed my hands with Alioski if he f***s off to those vermin. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. How can it be that two lads go to watch a football game and dont come back?. I dont want to imply criticism of the hospital for that, Ridsdale says. 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 only when Gray arrived home that his parents asked if he was OK and told him about the many Rangers fans who had died. 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. There was no minutes silence or acknowledgement of the deaths. Thats what they were, kids. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. 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. But where Galatasaray failed, and where Ridsdale specifically felt resentment, was in grasping the scale of the tragedy and in refusing to accept that violence on the streets and a UEFA Cup tie could not be classed as unrelated events once the worst had happened. Who really cares?. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. But he was not and the atmosphere was initially warmer than normal. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. The facilities are great. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. 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. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. 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. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If you ask me now if I made the right or wrong decision by playing it, I still dont know, Ridsdale says. [3] Leeds fans had been drinking in bars reportedly taunting local people and Turkish police intervened to stop fights breaking out. They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. Life is good. The loss ofKevin Speight and Christopher Loftus is still felt incredibly deeply and the feud between the clubs remains. Send any friend a story. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. It was completely against your idea of law and order. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. Something went wrong, please try again later. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. 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. Everything was muddled. More importantly, we needed to find out what state the two lads were in and whether we could help them.. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Ill be honest, by the time we were kicking off I had no idea why we were playing. 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. 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. Forty Leeds fans arrested in the scuffles were released without charge. 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. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. UEFA also requested that fences be put up around the perimeter of the pitch. I feel sorry for her, George says. It didnt sit right with me. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. 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. The passing of time is there in all of them. Read about our approach to external linking. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. [27], At Parken Stadium, where the final was to be played, the police erected iron fencing outside to separate the Arsenal and Galatasaray fans as a precaution. ', By Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Riots and 2 English deaths around UEFA Cup matches Galatasaray from Turkey against English teams in 2000 Obviously he liked his football too. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. [14] The Arsenal fans left the bar to confront the Galatasaray fans, which led to a fight lasting for an hour before riot police managed to control it and arrested four Britons and four Turks. Ali Sami Yen stadium should even go ahead. Youre a kid. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. [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. In the circumstances, it was a total irrelevance and too highly-charged. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. 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. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. By 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. More than a dozen police watched but initially did not intervene. 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. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. For me, it didnt feel real. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. 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. 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. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? Both families come here each April 5, to lay flowers and let another year pass. I am just trying to come to terms with the fact that I have seen a dead body for the first time in 10 years. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. My mum flicked it straight off again. [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. Disgusting. 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. 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. I genuinely feared for our lives. Andy Loftus had flown to watch the match with his brother. 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. 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. 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. Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. They will never be forgotten.. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". 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". He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. Ali Umit . It was weird because when we got in the car, the game (Galatasaray versus Leeds) had just started and was on the radio, Andy says. Me and the security team tried to create a bit of a cushion between them so the players werent worried about getting batoned, Fallows says. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. It was how away days in Europe played out. [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. Surprise me? Turkish Prime Minister Blent Ecevit also made a call for fans to avoid violence after the riots, stating: Sports should be an initiative for friendship, not for fighting. 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Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. 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. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. 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 Ali Sami Yen was in a league of its own in atmosphere terms, aggressive and ferocious for visiting sides. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. The day after the riots, FA Executive Director David Davies, issued an apology for the violence. As. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. I just said to them, Good luck., Galatasarays reputation went before them. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. I stood there with Eddie Gray, Fallows says. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. By that stage he was exhausted. 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. 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. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. 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 had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. I heard the rumours that some Leeds fan wiped his arse with a Turkey flag and things like that but people tell me none of its true. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. 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. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. [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. I was amazed, he says. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. Anyone can read what . You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. Any time I think about what happened, I ask the same question. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder.