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. They phoned their parents back home but the media had already informed them of Chriss death. Will Griffee For Mailonline 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. British fans were outnumbered and chased up side streets. I got a lot of abuse for that and no wonder. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. Youre a kid. Former Leeds United Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "The lasting impact has been to see the devastating effect it's had on Christopher and Kevin's families. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". It is part of Leeds Uniteds fabric and it will never disappear: the night when football became murder and so many lives were changed. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. They had no direct contact with Galatasarays security officials but Fallows and Harry Stokoe, Leedss stadium manager, were able to visit the Ali Sami Yen the day before the game to map the venue out. 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. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. My mum always says the same: Hed gone out there for the football, nothing else. [38], In 2013, Arsenal invited Galatasaray to compete at their annual Emirates Cup tournament. 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. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . I think those who arrived later knew what to expect.". The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. 11 Feb 02 | Europe Turkish justice moves slowly . Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. This led to the two Leeds fans being stabbed. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. Galatasaray fans attempted to provoke the Arsenal fans in the bars, and the two sides began chanting at each other until bottles were thrown from both sides around 16:00. After a while, Andys eldest brother Phil complained of feeling ill and the two of them decided to go back to their hotel. It was totally deliberate. Everything happened in a flash. 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. Its a game. Ridsdale is someone the Speights hold in high regard. 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 The interview included vague expressions of regret but no apology to Speight and Loftus or their relatives. The story goes that he and his wife Susan got together after he offered her a lift on the back of one. 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. The morning after Loftus and Speight were killed, Fallows and Stokoe were asked by Ridsdale to visit every hotel where the clubs supporters were staying. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. We tried to keep a lot of the information about what had happened [to Speight and Loftus] from them, rightly or wrongly. Ridsdale still struggles to accept Galatasarays indifferent reaction to the stabbings. But it was common sense. For a couple of days afterwards you run on adrenaline, he says. 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. 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? If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. 12/02/2021 . 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. galatasaray leeds death. 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.". Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. Later in the day, Galatasaray fans occupied City Hall Square before heading towards Arsenal fans in bars nearby. 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. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. 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. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. We werent talking about Leeds General Infirmary. Speights treatment failed to save him. Its completely different. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. I can only go on what my mum said, but my dad was nothing like that. They then broke into an apartment building to threaten Kosovan refugees with a knife, mistakenly believing them to be Turkish. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. Thats just how the system worked. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. 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. 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. #RIPChrisAndKev. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. Anywhere else in Europe, I doubt it would have been played. The passing of time is there in all of them. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. For me, it didnt feel real. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. 2000 fights between English and Turkish football fans. [20], Then, in a calculated attack, approximately 500 Arsenal fans[19] attacked from the main road behind the Galatasaray fans. They had no direct contact with Galatasarays security officials but Fallows and Harry Stokoe, Leedss stadium manager, were able to visit the Ali Sami Yen the day before the game to map the venue out. 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. A Galatasaray player who endorsed a set of knives as Leeds United paid tribute to fans fatally stabbed before a game against his club has apologised. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. Two lives lost and two lives wasted, for nothing. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. There was the time when he was caught stealing two pounds from the pub till and sent by Speight to sit in the office until Susan came home to read the riot act. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. A few hours later two Leeds supporters, Kevin Speight, 40, and Christopher Loftus, 37, were dead from stab wounds. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. At no stage between arriving at the hospital and Leeds playing the first leg against Galatasaray the following night did Ridsdale sleep. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. 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. [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. [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. Then you get your head around whats actually happened. 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. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. Even so, the counterargument holds water. 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. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. [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. [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. Asked shortly afterwards whether he thought the tie would still go ahead, Mr Ridsdale said: "It's too early to say. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. Demir lost his last appeal in 2010 and was jailed for six years and eight months. As a free agent, he had a decision to make about how best to look after himself with his 30th birthday coming next year (and in the end, looking after himself meant joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia last night). junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Both had numerous other wounds. But from 10.30pm local time, any sense of complacency seemed tragically misplaced, as a brutal battle began between Leeds supporters and a group of Turks, with running fights in the streets. I went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. People know me because of my dad, he says. 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 . 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. [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]. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. 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. My mum just felt she had to move on. It was our way of making sure the cameras and the world took notice of us.. The cause of the fighting which broke out after dark in Istanbul was a subject of fierce contention in the weeks after the stabbings. Try a week on us. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. He died in an operating theatre in the early hours of the morning, despite Leeds United paying for blood supplies to be rushed to him. When youre seven you cant process something like that, can you? I didn't know this and deleted our promotion for the merchandise kitchen item #respect. 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. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. We were just trying to control the worst situation imaginable.. Who really cares?. It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. 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. The bodies were repatriated a few days later, beginning the process of mourning and funerals. As kick-off drew near, the drums and the noise from the stadium filtered down to the Ali Sami Yens subterranean dressing rooms. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . The families of the victims will tell you that. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. 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