If you're Leeds, you don't move to a direct rival, simple. They didnt care., The Speights were different and left the criminal cases alone. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. They just looked at me like I was stupid.. Soon, they arrived at a flight of steps and a spot which would generate one of the lasting images of the entire tragedy. At the hotel, Phil went up to his room. Former club legend Harry Kewell previously soured his relationship with Leeds fans after moving to Galatasaray from Liverpool in 2008. At the time he said: 'It was a tragic thing in football but we can't live in the past. 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. Football authorities condemned the riots and threatened to expel national football teams from European competition if such events happened again. And I still blame myself a lot.. The Turkish police didnt give a shit about us. It is his life and his career, much as the option of Galatasaray was incapable of arising without anyone passing comment. Peter Ridsdale, the chairman who guided Leeds through the tragedy, is approaching 70. 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. 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. "There's a lot of anger. What they were seeing was pretty graphic so we said to them, Turn the tellies off, go to bed and wait for us to get some proper details. The footage was grainy and frightening, capturing a helpless Loftus with bloodstains on his shirt. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. Spencer interrupted dinner to advise Ridsdale that they should return to the hotel immediately. He has a busy job as an electrician and a twinkle in his eye. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Everything about that whole occasion was shocking. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans being banned from attending the second leg in England. 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. 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. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . 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. 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 completely against your idea of law and order. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. I didnt feel that their response was what our response would have been. He was showered with stickers and sweets gifts from friends who lived locally and Ridsdale, who supported both families throughout, delivered Easter eggs to the house for him and Holly. [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. 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. The manager of Leeds, David O'Leary, had voiced fears of being met at the airport by "a 100-strong rentamob". 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. "They were using very bad language," said Abdul Garlad, a manager. I stopped getting involved eventually, Andy says. His financial record at Leeds was dismal and Leeds never forget about it. #RIPChrisAndKev. 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. Me and the security team tried to create a bit of a cushion between them so the players werent worried about getting batoned, Fallows says. We had to say to them as clearly as we could, If you go into the streets, if you go out drinking, we cant tell you how dangerous itll be. That decision drew much criticism, as well it might. It triggered something and I ran into the ward. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. Mr Loftus from a plunging wound to his heart; Mr Speight, a few hours later after receiving a wound the length of his stomach. 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. 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. The deaths led to an angry reaction in England with Galatasaray fans . [7] The ban was supported by UEFA and only 80 tickets were issued to Galatasaray for officials and representatives of the Turkish government. I think you just go into a downward spiral. (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt AMA/Getty Images). Alioski had less of a cross to bear. Galatasaray supporters, despite everything that had gone on, were pelting the buses and trying to smash the windows. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. 2023 BBC. Leeds have never forgiven Eric Cantona for . The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. 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. Ridsdale agreed to send his wife and other officials back but instructed a car to take him and Spencer to Taksim Hospital. 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. I dont think a single one of the lads wanted to play that night.. [50] In 2012 Piers Morgan, the editor of the Daily Mirror at the time and a high-profile Arsenal fan who attended the match, apologised for printing the pictures. Nicolo Zaniolo signed on a permanent deal MORE. Your choice, the official replied. [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. Without his help, my mum would have been a bit lost, George says. 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. Four men were arrested and charged with their murders. George is different. Gray, one of OLearys assistants, tried to focus his attention elsewhere. The English FA followed the line of least resistance. 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. 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. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. The images are so vivid in Peter Ridsdales mind that he can describe every aspect of the hospital where Speight and Loftus were taken after they were attacked. In the case of Loftus brother Andy, he prefers not to make a big deal of his surname for fear of the questions that might follow; the feeling of being always on show. lisa left eye zodiac sign Search. They had been a couple since their teens. As a Turkish man is found guilty in Istanbul of murdering two Leeds United fans, the BBC gauges the reaction of local people. "They were screaming all sorts of things. One Love was a controlled situation. Read about our approach to external linking. They will never be forgotten.. I knew the ramifications would be life-long.. Everything was muddled. 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. We had hundreds of fans in Turkey, some in the air and another plane due to fly the following morning (the morning flight out from Leeds-Bradford Airport was rapidly cancelled). When they came back to Elland Road they thought our request for no away fans was inappropriate. In 2014 he was spoken to by a Turkish website, a free man again. The security guard who was in Turkey with the clubs players and directors is into his 50s and taking it easy after neck surgery. It sunk in quickly once we got home. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. You were dealing with young lads and the last thing you wanted to do was scare them.. Spencer stepped in and paid with his personal credit card. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. I dont know why.. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed during street clashes the night before Leeds played Turkey's Galatasaray in the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-finals in April 2000. Galatasaray 3-2 HangiKredi mraniyespor MORE. The driver said hed turn it off but I wanted to listen to it. Leeds supporters in Istanbul were told to stay in their hotels. 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