galatasaray leeds death

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. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. No question.. In the case of Loftus brother Andy, he prefers not to make a big deal of his surname for fear of the questions that might follow; the feeling of being always on show. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 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. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. So Leeds did. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. Send any friend a story. 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. 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. It sounds daft but I dont think I knew how to react. 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. The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray He wasnt one of them who tried to cause trouble. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. Both families come here each April 5, to lay flowers and let another year pass. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. 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. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. 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. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. 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. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. Istanbul was life and death and more than focusing on Alioski himself, the attention on him generated by the very prospect of a move to Turkey itself should make us ask why it was ever allowed to come to this; a horrific episode which offered no chance of peace or proper closure. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Both had numerous other wounds. Matt White tweeted: "Wesley Sneijder tweeting a personalised Galatasaray knife set on the 15th anniversary of the murder of 2 Leeds fans in Istanbul? It might be fair to say that the events of 2000 are a reason to dissuade a footballer with ties to Leeds from engaging with Galatasaray but not necessarily to prohibit him from signing, especially as time goes by. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. My mum flicked it straight off again. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or 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. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. That is true. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. They had been a couple since their teens. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. [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. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. 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? Its completely different. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. Kewell grew up in Leeds academy and was in the starting line-up for both legs against Galatasaray. [20], After the match, which Galatasaray won 41 on penalties, approximately 300 Arsenal fans in the Finsbury Park area of Islington in London attacked Turkish restaurants and businesses, with bottles being used to break windows. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. By that stage he was exhausted. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. 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. Others that the Turks precipitated it by throwing chairs. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. Even so, the counterargument holds water. I dont know why.. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. "We did amazing business in one hour. It was completely against your idea of law and order. It's a fantastic city and I'm willing to learn. By Loftus had been stabbed five times and Speight twice. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. The routine for Andy and others who went abroad with Leeds was always the same: straight to the hotel, straight into town, straight on the beer. 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 brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. But it was common sense. 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. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. 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. Speight arrived soon after and was seen chatting to midfielder Alan Smith as they walked through the breezy foyer at Ataturk Airport. I was amazed, he says. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. You dont get it.. 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. People speak well of him. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. Alioski defended amid Leeds fans' fury over Galatasaray transfer links 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. Alioski had less of a cross to bear. One of our security lads had to go with the bus to a compound, some sort of a lock-up. [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. 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. [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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. He was with Darren Loftus, Christopher's brother who had travelled with him, to identify his body. galatasaray leeds death Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. As a family, I dont know how you come to terms with that., Inside the Ali Sami Yen, hundreds of Leeds supporters attended the first leg as planned and were housed in a small section of yellow seats. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. The first the Leeds players heard of the incident in Taksim Square was when phone calls started reaching them in their hotel. 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. [42] Arsenal fans also criticised the police, claiming that they had been slow to intervene and were "too soft" on the hooligans. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? 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. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. Galatasaray tragedy will stay with Leeds United and Eirik Bakke forever Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. 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. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. 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. I feel everything: anger, sadness. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray 15:32 EST 23 Mar 2021. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. 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". They know what he did for us.. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell 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. Later in the evening, a group of around 20 Leeds supporters broke off and found their way to the Riddim bar near Taksim Square, the huge expanse in the centre of Istanbul which was filled with places to eat and drink. I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. Galatasaray - Detailed squad 22/23 | Transfermarkt Bitexen Giresunspor 0 - 4 Galatasaray MORE. Some claimed the English sparked it by throwing beer glasses at passing women pedestrians. Then a good mate of mine appeared and said thered been a bit of trouble. By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; a huge occasion for the club in a football sense, Ridsdale says. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. 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. The complication here is that football has no right to dictate how people manage a grievance that goes so far beyond standard rivalry. 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. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . Andy has paid for the plaque to be cleaned a couple of times and it could do with another polish now. I didnt want to do it either. CATEGORIES . 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. galatasaray leeds death - Sercano TV He has never spoken about his memories of Turkey before but, like Andy Loftus, says he wants to reflect 20 years on. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. They all say no. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. There was nothing you could say to him. It was totally deliberate. 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. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. There were a few Turkish fans outside the bars we started drinking in but we didnt think much of it. In Turkey, two supporters were murdered. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. 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. Give our social media channels a follow . The problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how 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. I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". Exclusive: Leeds icon Martyn on 21st anniversary of Galatasaray murders It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. Holmes says Andy was the life and soul of the party before Istanbul but the impact of Chriss death was severe. 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. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. 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. [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]. 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. [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. zhuri james net worth 2021 / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes / low carb ground beef and spinach recipes For some of it we were relying on the police and the authorities without knowing if they were going to do the right things. Before England played Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in Istanbul in 2003, Englands staff got in touch with Fallows to ask for logistical advice. I was totally speechless, totally shocked. Witnesses said he had been bludgeoned by police as he cradled a dying Chris in the street. Something went wrong, please try again later. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What they were seeing was pretty graphic so we said to them, Turn the tellies off, go to bed and wait for us to get some proper details. The footage was grainy and frightening, capturing a helpless Loftus with bloodstains on his shirt. 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. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. 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. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. The Turkish. [6] Demir was later found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but released in 2004. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach.

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