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. 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. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. It shows all personal information about the players, including age, nationality, contract duration and market value. [39] Later on, British media blame also transferred towards Galatasaray fans. We tried to raise awareness but it was a farce. 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. [19] The Danish police then moved in to separate the fans, and moved the Galatasaray fans back towards the square. Istanbul was like no other event he has dealt with. You mention him over Farsley way and people respect him. Arsenal qualified for the final by defeating French club Lens in their semi-final. 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. 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. Squad Galatasaray This page displays a detailed overview of the club's current squad. Eddie Gray is crouching down as he runs up from underground and into the open air. We had a coach for the players and a coach for the directors, he says. My sympathy was with them. "I haven't seen a single Englishman all day," said a newspaper vendor. Turkish police, according to British of ficials, appeared to be taking the killings as seriously as they would hope. 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. [2] The events happened at 22:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square during a fight between Leeds fans and Galatasaray fans. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of. 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. It makes me proud. Like his father, George has the nickname Spag. 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. Given that context and these examples only really scratch the surface of everything that happened in April 2000 there was no way in which a player like Gjanni Alioski could consider leaving Leeds and joining Galatasaray, as he did for many months, without bracing himself for a tense political path and the objection he encountered online. Fri 7 Apr 2000 20.36 EDT. The Turkish media tried to blame English fans for provoking the violence by being drunk and disrespecting the Turkish flag. Turkish Prime Minister Blent Ecevit also made a call for fans to avoid violence after the riots, stating: Sports should be an initiative for friendship, not for fighting. Thats just how the system worked. My mum just felt she had to move on. This year is the 20th anniversary of the mens deaths in Istanbul and many of their relatives carry those events as if they happened yesterday. "Maybe they thought they were being funny but to Turks who do not speak good English, it was very offensive.". The road to justice for the Speight and Loftus families was long and demoralising. 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 second leg was totally different. Maybe, he says, and his voice tails off. It was a lad from Shipley who I knew, Andy says. So Leeds did. I looked at Eddie, he looked at me, we smiled a nervous smile and both said the same thing: Lets go.. Leeds fans have reacted furiously to reports that Ezgjan Alioski has agreed to move to Galatasaray. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . 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. They ordered us to pump up the volume, so we did," said Mr Dedeler, 24. [16] Dineen was released from hospital later in the day and attended the match as a guest of the Arsenal directors. It also contains a table with average age, cumulative market value and average market value for each player position and overall. The blood had to be sourced externally and to do that, someone had to pay. A week or so later, we lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Its completely different. Chelsea 1-0 Leeds LIVE: Blues finally find the breakthrough as Wesley Fofana heads home the opener in the second half in a game Graham Potter really needs to win as Brighton and Aston Villa . They have nothing but good words for Ridsdales conduct and nothing but gratitude for his support. 12/02/2021 . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Your mind was elsewhere., Harte also felt a delayed reaction. 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. [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. Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed in Istanbul on the eve of Leeds' Uefa Cup semi-final tie against Galatasaray in April 2000. Staff said many fans were drunk by 10pm, intimidating Turkish families drinking in the lounge. People know me because of my dad, he says. Jesus. 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. One Love was a controlled situation. The plaque on the wall by Elland Roads East Stand says Never Forgotten and Leeds United swore themselves to those words. [37] Leeds United also banned three of their fans from Elland Road after they had been identified in pictures of the riots. We switched on the telly and it was all over the news, George says. 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. Peter Ridsdale, the Leeds chairman, had been dining with directors from Galatasaray when reports of trouble came through. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes 21 years agoat 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. [40], The Danish police were also criticised for their handling of the riots. A lot of what went on I dont want to know. Everything happened in a flash. Ill hear them saying, Thats Kevin Speights lad and I like that. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. ", Jack Connolly added: "That Wesley Sneijder knife launch is disgusting, scum of the earth.". Right up to the attack, I didnt see any trouble. Other fans in Istanbul spoke of isolated incidents here and there but nothing serious. Galatasaray wanted me from the start. 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. When he arrived at the hospital, Darren was in a bed with head injuries. 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 liked a drink and a laugh, simple as that, Andy says. He just happened to run into some tossers with knives., George was so young that the aftermath almost strayed into boyhood adventure. Outside, Leeds fans reportedly taunted Turkish men. [17] This came after Arsenal had warned the police before the final that there could be hooligans travelling to Copenhagen. The eggs were massive and I was chuffed to bits with mine, he says. Welcome to Hell, Galatasaray liked to say. Anyone can read what . By the time the match kicked off, the ramifications of two fatal stabbings the previous. 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). "Most were kind, but there were five or six really crazy guys. And I still blame myself a lot.. 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 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. But eventually the issue of what to do about the game had to be addressed. He had been involved in the plane crash which Leeds players and coaches escaped from on the way home from a Premier League game at West Ham United in 1998. OFFICIAL DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE MORE. That deal took Kewell back to a stadium where he and Leeds once needed protection with riot shields. The set of knives, emblazoned with Galatasaray's colours, are produced by Dutch firm Senvi and are available for 22. Absolutely amazed and totally stunned. 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. [38] The photos led to some postmen working for Royal Mail losing their jobs because they had been seen in the photos and in television coverage,[46] even though they had not been arrested. 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. Wed spoken about doing something beforehand, he says. Hed just met a girl. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. The police warned a postponement could cause more trouble. Susan chose not to take the children to Speights funeral. Association with the tragedy can be difficult. Looking at it from where the fans were standing, Id have been as angry as them. George has no recollection of his dad leaving for Istanbul or of him saying goodbye. Shes struggled with it more than I have because shes got nothing there. 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. Try a week on us. I prefer to go to the plaque at Elland Road, he says. Loftus had already been pronounced dead and in the melee, hospital staff mistakenly assumed Ridsdale was a relative and took him downstairs to the mortuary. [37], In the United Kingdom, Arsenal fans were originally blamed for the violence as the police had fixed blame on them. He can picture the facade as he entered and the floorplan of the area where other injured Leeds fans had congregated; where Speight lay on an operating table, desperate for surgery. This morning the Dutch international tweeted: "Finally my GalatasaraySK knife set is now available and can be delivered everywhere.". [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. His brother was following behind us and, quite understandably, he lost it. Loftuss brother Andy jokes that he had thicker hair back in the day. They all say no. The brother of one of two Leeds United fans killed in Turkey 20 years ago says his death is "still fresh in my memory". Fallows is convinced that Galatasaray and the Turkish police made deliberate attempts to rattle and unsettle away teams, forcing players to squeeze through tight lines of officers to gain entry to the ground and admitting thousands of home fans to the stadium hours before kick-off. Chris and Kevin were brutally murdered in Istanbul on the eve of our UEFA Cup semi-final fixture with Galatasaray in 2000. "We came out of a bar and there were 100 people waiting for us with machetes, knives, bits of chair and table legs and they just attacked us. 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. At the hospital, Ridsdale encountered absolute chaos. The police did nothing, in fact they were helping them beat us up." Even now I get the feeling that people think we started it, Andy says. He must have been off his head., Ian Harte, the left-back, is more vivid in describing it. At this juncture, it should be said that Kewell and Alioski were not identical. 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. He was eight when the deaths occurred and he was 25 when he came to England as a professional. 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. 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. I know bits and bats but it doesnt help me to go over it, he says. Obviously he liked his football too. I went off the rails, he says. I feel sorry for her, George says. Leeds and Galatasaray fans clashed in violent scenes in April 2000 at 21:00 in Istanbul's Taksim Square Following the two tragic deaths, local police arrested and charged four Galatasaray. The Turkish side are hated by those at Elland Road after two travelling fans were stabbed to. For George, the clearest memories of his dad are few and slightly random. Scuffles broke out but the police moved in and fans scattered. Galatasaray 2 - 1 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor MORE. [30] A Danish police officer[22] and a Turkish cameraman were also injured in the riots. 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. Theyd turned on their tellies and it was all over the Turkish news, Fallows says. I like that they remember him. 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. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. They carried beer glasses outside, we couldn't stop them, and others followed." 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. UEFA, after a week of consideration, agreed with Leeds. A group of rival fans gathered and jeers were exchanged. Sneijder's tweet has since been deleted and the midfielder sent a tweet to an angry fan stating: "Very sorry. 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. [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. But he didnt make much of it, like it was something of nothing. Galatasaray accused him of trying to gain an unfair sporting advantage. He had been in touch with the Turkish authorities, and with Chief Superintendent Steve Matthews from West Yorkshire police, who travels abroad with Leeds fans on away trips, and his team of three or four officers acting as "spotters". 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. 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. which of the following statements best describes a federal preemption,