galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. There was nothing you could say to him. 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. By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. My mum just felt she had to move on. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. "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.". 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. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. Confusion reigned. It didnt sit right with me. 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. I thought about Graeme Souness running and planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the pitch at Fenerbahce. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. Grieving Leeds Faces Galatasaray Rematch : It Is a Matter of Life Or Death, Sometimes. He visited his fathers body in the chapel of rest across the road, bringing pictures he had drawn for him with felt tips. 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. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. Who really cares?. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. That is true. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. [44], In the United Kingdom, the Daily Mirror newspaper printed pictures of Arsenal fans alleged to have been part of the violence. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. Early relaxation gave way to brutal battle as rivals taunted each other, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. The families of the victims will tell you that. You dont take much notice of whats said because youre out there for a beer and a laugh. 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. Ali Umit . In its opinion, contesting the game was the least worst option. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. [25] The British fans were later released without charge but were forbidden from returning to Denmark. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Nigel Martyn has exclusively told LeedsUnited.News that playing against Galatasaray in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000 - just 24 hours after the murders of two Leeds fans - is to this day, his biggest regret in football. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . 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. 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. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. Uefa, after consultation with the clubs and the Turkish authorities, wavered but eventually decided to go ahead. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. Try a week on us. George is aware of some of the details but has tried not to dig too deeply. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. 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 security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. There was a sense of relief to be leaving, he says, but I knew that flying out of Istanbul wasnt the end of it. 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. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. 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. He has never spoken about his memories of Turkey before but, like Andy Loftus, says he wants to reflect 20 years on. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. Life is good. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. 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. There isnt much that unnerves me but that was quite a scary moment. 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. [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. 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. The Loftuses fought for justice for as long as they could. But it had to be done., In the circumstances, did it surprise Fallows that the game in Istanbul went ahead? The design of the place meant the Leeds players had to take a long walk to the tunnel, flanked by armed police. 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. 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. 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. . [4] Police arrested Ali Umit Demir and three other men for the stabbings. 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. 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. According to a waiter at a nearby restaurant, the Turkish club's fanatical fans had heard through the grapevine that trouble was brewing. Fans in nearby bars remained unaware of the violence. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. Loftus, 35, was a telephone engineer and an easy-going lad. 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. I had no idea where we were going or why we were going there, he says. [32] The rest were fined an equivalent of $500 and banned from Denmark for a year.[33]. I dont know if the club encouraged them to do that but you were well aware of objects hitting the shields. Its completely different. "We did amazing business in one hour. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . It is regarded as a significant act of betrayal by many fans for a Leeds player to join Galatasaray. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_, Leeds players needed protection from police with riot shields before their game against Galatasaray in 2000 (Photo: Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images). Youre a kid. Around them, riot police are standing with shields in the air, protecting the players from what Fallows says was all sorts of things smashing off them. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Bouncers guarded the bars from any English fans. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. 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. If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. The stadium is stuck in a state of eerie silence but this Sunday it will do what it always does on April 5 by standing in salute to the two who were lost. The Loftuses had travelled to Turkey on the same flight as David OLearys players. [8], The stabbings caused anger throughout the United Kingdom, and subsequently members of Arsenal's hooligan firms The Herd and The Gooners,[9] wanted to avenge the deaths of the Leeds fans, and telephoned other British hooligan firms, inviting them to join them in Copenhagen to attack Galatasaray fans. galatasaray leeds death. The friend who arranged their trips abroad organised for them to fly home via Brussels. 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. Im not sure Ive even processed it now. [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. It was totally deliberate. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence?
It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. I didnt catch everything but I heard enough. 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. Ali Umit Demir, was arrested by Turkish police within days and he and three other Turks were later convicted in court. 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). Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." The city centre was tense but, thanks to a massive police presence, mainly empty. Leeds always kept records of who was travelling and which hotels they were using. , updated My mum struggled massively with it all and she still does now, George says. Thats just how the system worked. 12/02/2021 . "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. [2] ", Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day's key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox. 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 went for some counselling and didnt go through with all of it but the charity work helped. They will never be forgotten.. 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. I cant explain it but I got this weird feeling, he says. Within an hour of the stabbings in central Istanbul, some of David OLearys squad emerged to speak to him. How the violence started is unclear. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. 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. Harry Kewell is in front of him, carrying a ball and looking bewildered. If the thought of a transfer like that sits uncomfortably then perhaps it should. It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000.