In May 2002 Demir, who admitted the stabbings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with four other men imprisoned for three months each. Tragedy that awaited two fans on a journey to hell The Loftus family gave up on campaigning for justice in Turkey because they did not think the system cared about them. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. 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. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . Some headed for the James Joyce pub 200 metres away and joined a sing-song against Galatasaray. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. sauce pizza and wine mac and cheese. I feel everything: anger, sadness. Gray remembers OLeary going out of the team hotel to visit a barbers for a shave beforehand. People speak well of him. 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. 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. The first time he went inside to be present, he sat with friends and cried. Both had numerous other wounds. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. A lot of what the police were doing was pure intimidation, Fallows says. 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. 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. He sees it now as a necessary shock to the system. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. Speight and Loftus were not close friends but knew each other in passing, as travelling football fans do. Leeds fans RAGING at Ezgjan Alioski transfer links to Galatasaray 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. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . Has to be the biggest DO NOT for any Leeds player!! Six people were arrested and three Metropolitan Police officers were injured. Fatih Terim, Galatasaray's coach, had whipped up his side's supporters. One wrote: 'If Alioski goes there, his high regard and reputation with Leeds fans is destroyed!! galatasaray leeds death. 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. Devastated., The next 24 hours were a blur. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. 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 setting was Turkeys biggest city, on the banks of the Bosphorus, and the game was the first leg of a UEFA Cup semi-final. [10] It was reported that members of Leeds United's Leeds United Service Crew[11] and Chelsea's Chelsea Headhunters, along with hooligans supporting Rangers, Cardiff City and Swansea City all travelled to Denmark to join Arsenal fans in attacks on Galatasaray fans. 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 were knocking everyone about, says Paul Holmes, a friend of the Loftuses who was in Taksim Square when the violence broke out. Kewell was quoted after joining Galatasaray as saying that to blame Galatasaray for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory. When the press came round, me and my cousin would bounce on my bed to try and get in the photos and in the papers. 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. 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. Through different eyes and different viewpoints, a picture built up of the disregard and indifference with which they had been treated by those they looked to for help. My dad is ex-World Cup star and BBC pundit but I want glory in a On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. galatasaray leeds death; marfan criteria calculator; galatasaray leeds death. 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. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. 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 Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. Football riots in City Hall Square, Copenhagen, Denmark (May 2000). I think you just go into a downward spiral. 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. Though the versions of Leeds fans and Turkish witnesses are almost entirely at odds, it appears the trouble started in the city's entertainment district outside the Riddim reggae bar in Buyuk Parmakkapi Street. Gala is an awful football club and Alioski is an awful footballer. By last night's kick-off, the pools of blood, shattered glass and debris had been cleared away. 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. 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It is wrong to presume to tell those who were affected by the events in Istanbul how to feel or how to react to a player taking Galatasarays money. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. Its the most terrified Ive ever been, he says. [18] Later, large numbers of Galatasaray fans congregated in Copenhagen's City Hall Square, raising the Turkish flag in the square. Wed heard that Istanbul could be a bit dangerous but we never thought anything of it, Andy says. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. On the 21st anniversary of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus' deaths on April 5 2000, Martyn also recalls the immediate reaction of the Leeds squad . I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. One minute youre coming out of a bar, the next youve got people running to attack you. 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. Even so, the counterargument holds water. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. 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. I tried telling Galatasarays staff to get them out. [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. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. They thought we were looking for a sporting advantage, which is just incredible. 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. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. I didnt want to be standing there telling them what to do and I understood that they didnt want to hear it. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. It was horrible. 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 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. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. He said getting involved in charity work and fundraisers, including running half-marathons in memory of his brother, had helped him to deal with his sibling's death. Thats what they were, kids. Galatasaray 2-1 Trabzonspor MORE. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. The fan responded: "If you did not know then fair enough but your club certainly did and they should be ashamed of themselves. Hello Hell, We Are Leeds, read one banner carried by fans piling through Istanbul airport on Wednesday night. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. 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. My instinct was that we had to know what was happening, Ridsdale says. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Send any friend a story. [28] In Turkey, nine people were accidentally shot and injured by Galatasaray fans firing guns in celebration despite police warning them not to. You got paid each month and you did this, Andy says, gesturing as if to push a wad of banknotes into a drawer. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. 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. One Love was a controlled situation. Try a week on us. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. I feel sorry for her, George says. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. By that stage he was exhausted. galatasaray leeds deathashtoreth worship practices. The Football Associations David Davies said playing the game was the least worst option. galatasaray leeds death For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. Can you list the top facts and stats about 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final violence? 12/02/2021 . Something went wrong, please try again later. Ridsdale can visualise it all 21 years on: the lay-out of the hospital, the chaos inside, the panicked confusion. "There was nothing in the days running up to this match to suggest there would be this level of violence," Mr Hunt said. Twenty years on from Istanbul: the night when football became murder He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. 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. 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. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". It is unobtrusive and reads simply: In memory of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight who died tragically in Istanbul, April 5th 2000. "They came into town to see. Galatasaray advance to Ziraat Trkiye Kupas . The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. 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. The problem shouldn't have been Alioski or his next club, it's how 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. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. Leeds had taken over an entire corridor at the five-star Kempinski and the squad were in their rooms, ready to sleep ahead of the game the next night. It was the same at the second leg when I had to stand and look after Galatasarays main man at Elland Road. 13:02 EST 23 Mar 2021 Both families come here each April 5, to lay flowers and let another year pass. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray supporters with murder. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. 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.
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