UEFA ban Turks from Leeds match

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Turkish fans have been officially banned from next Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final second leg between Leeds United and Galatasaray at Elland Road. European football's governing body UEFA confirmed the announcement nine days after Leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed to death in violent clashes in Istanbul on the eve of the first leg.

Up to 1,500 Galatasaray fans had been expected to attend the match but Leeds and its chairman Peter Ridsdale had been pressing for the ban.

The decision came as reports from Turkey said four men had been formally charged with murder.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

Answers

I think this is the correct decision, which worries me as football authorities invariably get it wrong.

For the Turks to complain that Leeds couldn't absolutely guarantee safety was amazing. They were essentially inviting themselves to be banned from Europe as demonstrably they cannot guarantee visiting fans safety.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000


EUFA have pussy footed round for days and ended up taking the easy way out. The scum should have been booted out the same night the two guys were killed - no messing.

It's a typical half arsed attempt to keep everybody happy. Sickens me to my stomach that those lunatics could still win it. It's not as if it's the first time the murdering b******s have tried it on with visiting teams, and if it was down to me, they wouldn't get anywhere near an international competition until they could guarantee unequivocally, the safety of visiting supporters, and players come to that.

And we haven't heard the last of it yet, cos I reckon there'll be hell on if justice is served and Leeds give them the biggest hiding they've ever had. They'll whinge and bleat to try to get the result overturned - Just watch .

Something else that makes my blood boil. I hate compromises.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

I can only meet you halway on this one Bill...

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

Ah but Bill.......surely to play the match and THEN chuck 'em out of the competition is better, that way they have had the expense of getting over here, staying a day of so and then getting back.

That might get them to give visitors to their country a little bit more respect and protection.......hit them where it hurts....in the pocket

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000


I must admit I feel sorry for the Galatasaray fans who want to see the match. What would you feel like if you could not go? I remember all the rhetoric about the makem ban on Toon fans. Remember it probably was not genuine Galatasaray fans who did this to the Leeds lads. If anything this puts English fans in a worse light than the Turks. The press, popular or otherwise have beat up on "what is the world coming to if you cannot watch a football match without being stabbed" situation and then saying to the Turks don't come here or you will be leaving in a body bag!!!

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000


Softy
I hope your half is the same as the half I really meant in that lot. Maybe we can compare notes in the Strawberry tomorrow, eh?

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

I look forward to it. What time are you getting in? I should be there at about 1.30...sounds like there shouldn't be much of a crush at the bar for a change;-)

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

I think it sets a bad precedent. Anytime there's any bother (or worse, as in the Istanbul fixture) fans get banned and there's a no- go attitude.

Next stop is UEFA calling up Master Bates for some of his knock-off electric fences.

It's a bad decision and will do nothing to calm the situation down.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000


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ITK
That came across a bit tongue in cheek. I think they'd lose a lot more money by being excluded altogether for a while, if the intention was to punish them in the pocket.

And no more brits on hols in Turkey. But thinking about it in cold blood, come the middle of next month, who'll give a s**t anyway ?

Gus
I don't feel the least bit sorry for the Turks who can't come. It's not as if they (the Turkish people) can have been taken completely by surprise by the incident.

Something happens every time an English club/team dips out and has to play in Turkey, admittedly not previously as serious as this time, but there've been loads of other opportunities for EUFA to have got the message across, which they've neglected to do. So the Turks continue to make things 'uncomfortable' - all night noise outside hotels, spitting, throwing coins etc. - and get away with it.

How many more deaths does it need to wake up EUFA to the fact that they have to make an example in cases like this ? After all, we've given up trying to keep racism and thuggery out of football by hoping that the attitude of decent fans would rub off on the a*******s - legislation had to be introduced.

Despite this maybe appearing to be aimed particulary at the Turks, that isn't the case. If the murders had taken place in any other country, I'd have felt just a strongly about it. It's just that the turks seem to be particularly good at 'losing control'. On a larger scale, their human rights record should be enough of a indication that we shouldn't be surprised when they pull stunts like the latest. They, and everybody like them, should be told in no uncertain terms to clean up their act or stay away. Pussy footing around the way EUFA do causes more problems than it solves, I reckon.

Apologies for going all soapbox on a Friday afternoon- and I can't even blame the booze - but maybe I'll be in a better frame of mind after tomorrow when we fux the foxes.
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-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

Totally understand Pit, however I see this as a UEFA problem more than your average fan problem. Yes the Turks do what they want, whos to blame them if they get away with it? Of course they will continue until the mysterious "powers that be" do something. The situation in Turkey is that the average yobbo cannot afford to travel to away games. The majority of the fans travelling for this away leg will be as appalled and as distant from what happened as we are, thats why I feel sorry for them. I could not believe that there was evan ANY thought of playing at a neutral ground!! Why punish Leeds for something that was not their doing, and to have a swipe at the lack of control of their players, although possibly justified at this time, was also OTT.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000


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Softie
Strawberry between 1:45 and 2:15, but if you'll know the face well enough if the handle means nowt at the moment.

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-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

It can a bit of a pain in the a*se remembering them, can't it.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000

I'll tell one thing that made the Leeds & by association the "English" fans come accross in a bad light.

We have a late night sports show that does a round up of the daily occurances in world sport. It's the top of program that takes the interviews, sports action etc. that is probably seen around the world.

Well it has followed the Leeds, Galatasaray incident for several nights. It reported that UEFA had banned the turkish fans travelling to Leeds, then cut to Leeds to show all the flowers at some memorial for the two fans who were killed and they did an interview with a Leeds fan about UEFA's decision.

It was this guy who has probably confirmed in non-football followers minds that football is still largely followed by hooligans.

He looked like your proto-typical skinhead, and went on how it was a good decision, as any turkish fans would have been targets for revenge.

Not only did he portray a very bad example of the average english football fan, he probly didn't do Englands world cup bid any good.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000


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