galatasaray leeds death
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. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Galatasaray fans entered the area shortly afterwards which precipitated a fight between the two sets of supporters. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I am happy and I hope everyone else can be too. For long periods, none of those found guilty spent time behind bars. Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. 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. [2] Acquittal plea in soccer death trial. 12/02/2021 . Life is good. Their policing of City Hall Square in the days running up to the final was described as "non-existent" by Dineen. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. [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]. He liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy 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. At least nine other people, including six Leeds fans, were injured. After taking stock, he got involved with the cancer charity Candlelighters and helped raise almost 150,000 for local hospital facilities. Jesus. 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. There were reports that a Galatasaray fan had run to a telephone to call for support when he saw Leeds fans arriving. Another supporter who tried to resuscitate Chris was hit with batons. The pair were met by angry, upset and bewildered groups. The Speights were a close family who lived in the Yorkshire village of Farsley, where Kevin Speight was landlord of the Bay Horse pub. For players and supporters alike, this has become one of the most fraught and difficult venues in Europe. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. Within minutes, a pitched battle erupted. [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. One of 13 Turks arrested in Istanbul has confessed to stabbing Leeds United fan Christopher Loftus, whose body is expected . 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. 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. Galatasaray away on April 6, 2000; "a huge occasion for the club in a football sense," Ridsdale says. [17], Throughout the day large numbers of fans, both English and Turkish, were seen throughout the city and at the airport. Its funny what sticks in your head, he says. 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. Rory Carroll in Istanbul and Martin Wainwright. The way the police and the authorities were with us. Over a coffee in Starbucks, George Speight finds a way to be philosophical about his fathers death. [13], On the Wednesday at 1:00, Galatasaray fans attacked a bar in Strget in Copenhagen, where some Arsenal fans were located. 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. ', While a third posted: 'They suit each other. He started shouting for Christopher to wake up. on the 20th anniversary of the killings in Istanbul. They knew there had been trouble but the club made an effort to hold back some detail on the basis that if the game went ahead, they would need to concentrate on it. Its a strange thing but its important to me. On the 20th anniversary of their deaths, he said: "I suffered quite badly after it happened. The away crowd emptied after Rangers late equaliser without realising what had unfolded inside the ground. [48] In 2001, the tribunal ruled in their favour,[49] and ordered Royal Mail to reinstate them. Trust us, this is only going to get worse., It didnt go down well, and I got that. My sisters had a word and told me to sort myself out. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. He described the Turkish policing as diabolical and out of control. Those April nights were as close as Leeds will get to it. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. But the Leeds fans do not see it that way. To this day, it is used as a tribute every time the anniversary comes round. The connection was not comparable to Kewells. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". [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. He was seven when Speight died, his sister Holly two. Convention required the directors of the clubs involved in a European tie to share a meal with UEFA delegates the night before the game and Galatasaray arranged the gathering, not far from the Kempinski Hotel where Leedss players and directors were staying. Alioski was not part of that history but the history exists and the real story here far more significant than Alioski or any other footballer per se is the absence of any reconciliation over a night which feels as raw to those who witnessed it now as it did two decades ago; the lasting bitterness produced by a vacuum of empathy. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. 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. 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. Your choice, the official replied. 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. Menu "It's just a bit of a rollercoaster ride really but we get by," he said. 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. Thats just how the system worked. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. (Main photo of Kevin Speight with his son George and daughter Holly). So Leeds did. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. 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. Bits of Istanbul werent in control. After a long legal process in Turkey, four men were jailed in 2010. Fallows is a security guard with ample experience. In contrast, what Leeds saw in Galatasaray was a baffling lack of sympathy. Leeds' bitter hatred towards the Turkish side is no secret after two of their supporters, Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight, were stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans prior to the UEFA Cup. 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. [31] Nineteen of the arrested were British, thirty-six were Turkish and the rest of the arrested included people from Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. But in the light of day, the sun hits it and the sparkle lingers. You ask them one by one if 20 years have helped them process what happened. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. [23] The violence, which included fans from other English clubs[24] and Turks living in Denmark,[25] lasted for 45 minutes. It was totally deliberate. Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. George is different. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. 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. Football and Leedss financial collapse made Ridsdale persona non grata at Elland Road but George says his mums face lit up when she heard that he was being interviewed for this article. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. I feel sorry for her, George says. Turkish eye-witnesses accused Leeds fans of insulting women, defacing the Turkish flag, urinating in the street and tipping over a car. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us. 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. So Leeds did. Anyone can read what . Everything happened in a flash. [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. "This was a premeditated attack," said Steve Wilkinson, who suffered knife wounds to one leg and a wound to his hand. By then, you knew exactly what had gone on and you knew the severity of it. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. She knows who he was but its not the same.. 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. 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. 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. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. We could only do what we thought was best at that moment. The journey to the stadium prior to kick-off made him wish he had forfeited it and taken the consequences.
