galatasaray leeds death

I respect the Loftuses for fighting, 100 per cent. The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. Thats just how the system worked. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. 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. The brothers went to the British Embassy but, in Andys words, found them to be worse than useless. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. 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. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. So Leeds did. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. Amid the fall-out and a world of shock in Leeds, Ridsdale suggested that the second leg at Elland Road would be safer without away fans. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. Confusion reigned. 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. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. 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. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. The police claim he was punched. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. Speights son, George, is no longer the cheeky kid with floppy hair smiling brightly in the photograph of his father he digs out. If someone could have shown me those levels of intimidation, Id have refused to play the game unhesitatingly. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. "There's a lot of anger. By 10.30pm some of the rowdiest fans left the James Joyce and joined a crowd outside McDonalds just off Taksim Square. 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Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. According to one witness, a Turkish man was pushed to the ground and smashed his teeth on the pavement. There was nothing you could say to him. 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. 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Within a year, however, Demir, following an appeal, was a free man after his conviction was quashed and a re-trial ordered. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. Obviously he liked his football too. "When you see a man having to identify the body of his brother with a massive stab wound in his chest it just isn't what you'd associate with football.". He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Ridsdale and Leedss operations director, David Spencer, were at a floating restaurant on the Bosphorus when they were phoned to tell them trouble in the centre of Istanbul had resulted in at least two fans being hospitalised. They stressed as delicately as they could the importance of staying indoors. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. 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. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. But if you back out, youll forfeit the game and incur a 3-0 defeat. People speak well of him. They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. He rushed to Taksim hospital, near where the men were stabbed. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. 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. Whether this should dictate a transfer like the one Alioski was asked to ponder is a matter of opinion. [29], In all, four people were stabbed during the riots: two English, one Turkish and one Dutch fan. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. As injured and angry Leeds fans came through, he did what he could. The slit-throat gestures from fans as we arrived on the bus. 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. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. 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. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. Our Daz was there and he told me the full story. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. In fact, the Leeds United supporters, arriving for the first leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final with Galatasaray, were at first greeted in a way which mostly belied the Welcome to Hell banners which have traditionally greeted English teams there. Leeds Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months. Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. He had a passion for Lambretta scooters and spent his spare time fixing old models in his mothers garden. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. 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. Galatasaray beat English team Leeds United but their matches were marred by violence: two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death before their semi-final first leg at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul on 6 April 2000. Both had numerous other wounds. galatasaray leeds death. 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. And I still blame myself a lot.. 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. 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. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. "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. 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. [24] It was claimed that the police failed to control the riots,[43] and that they had been undermanned and outmaneuvered, to which Mogens Lauridsen, the police chief in Copenhagen admitted that the police had been "under-prepared". Give our social media channels a follow . "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". They knocked back as much Elfe (lager), Jack Daniels and Bacardi as I could pour.". The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. It was totally deliberate. The events of the day started early in the morning when skirmishes broke out in a bar, which led to an Arsenal fan being stabbed. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Speight was with a group of Leeds fans attacked by Turkish locals outside a bar by Istanbuls Taksim Square, sustaining a slash wound to his stomach. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. Anyone can read what . The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. [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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. 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. Kevin Fallows was the clubs head of security and travelled with the players to all their fixtures in Europe. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. I feel everything: anger, sadness. [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. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. 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. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. The Ibrox disaster was a tragedy, an accident, he says. It was obvious that Galatasaray were making no concession for what had taken place, so that was our form of protest. 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. They all say no. And others, like Eddie Gray and Ian Harte, have moved on with their lives. I didnt want to do it either. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. Convictions were quashed, appeals were repetitive and it is far from clear how much of their respective sentences were served. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . A fortnight ago, Ridsdale was voted onto the EFLs board. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 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. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. [36], In August 2000, Arsenal banned thirty-seven people involved in the Copenhagen riot from Arsenal's Highbury stadium. The police were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. 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. Try a week on us. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. In the context of football, that era was phenomenally good: Leeds in Europe and another trip to the continent always waiting around the corner. 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. It is 10 years since he last went to the grave. 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. 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. 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. My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. Christopher's brother was there [at the time of the incident] and I think that the impact on those two families can never be underestimated.". Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. Disgusting. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. I was amazed, he says. People know me because of my dad, he says. My mum just felt she had to move on. 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. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When they landed at Leeds-Bradford airport, a Leeds United club car was waiting to pick them up from the runaway, avoiding the cameras waiting inside. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. 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. I got arrested which was a bad thing but also a good thing. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. [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. 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. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. [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. Jesus. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. 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. 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. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. 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. [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. Surprise me? After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. The shadow of Istanbul is longer for Andy Loftus. Everything happened in a flash. Your choice, the official replied. From 5pm local time more than 100 Leeds fans had arrived shouting, singing and demanding beer, according to Batu Dedeler, the bar owner. The first I knew of it was when they came out to tell me. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. 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. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. As. Ill be careful here but I have to say that I felt uncomfortable welcoming Galatasarays delegates to Elland Road. Mr Loftus's brother Andy said: "I know it may seem a long time but it's still very much like yesterday really.". Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. 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. 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. Wesley Sneijder, a Dutch international who . It sunk in quickly once we got home. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. 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. 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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. Hed just met a girl. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. . Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. [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. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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'.

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