TURKEY: LEEDS UNITED FANS ARRIVE ACCOMPANIED BY STRICT SECURITY FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL MATCH AGAINST BESIKTAS

Record ID: 338330

  • Title: TURKEY: LEEDS UNITED FANS ARRIVE ACCOMPANIED BY STRICT SECURITY FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL MATCH AGAINST BESIKTAS
  • Date: 18th October 2000
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (OCTOBER 18, 2000) (REUTERS TELEVISION NEWS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF LEEDS FANS ARRIVING 2. LEEDS FANS SINGING ROD STEWARDS SONG "SAILING" 3. FANS TAKING BUSES 4. LEEDS CHAIRMAN PETER RIDSDALE WELCOMES AND CHECKS THE BUSES 5 (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) LEEDS UNITED CHAIRMAN PETER RIDSDALE SPEAKING: "That's the way goes, but it's not problem. Everybody has done very well, everyone is safe and secure. They're going to have a great evening. As I say let's just hope we get result and we get let's hope they're safe and sound back to Leeds tomorrow." 6. VARIOUS OF BUSES DEPARTING FROM AIRPORT 7. VARIOUS OF LEEDS FANS GETTING ON A BOAT 8. LEEDS FANS CHANTING ON BOAT 9. LEEDS FANS ON BUSES BEING CARRIED TO THE STADIUM UNDER GUARD 10. LEEDS FANS ENTERING THE STADIUM 11. BESIKTAS FANS CHANTING AGAINST LEEDS FANS 12. BESIKTAS TEAM ARRIVES AT STADIUM 13. LEEDS UNITED TEAM ARRIVES AT STADIUM 14. VIEWS OF THE THE STADIUM Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Reuters ID: LVADZQLWT25307PWCBBLT1HRT0K3
  • Story Text: Around 140 Leeds United fans were welcomed by Leeds
    chairman Peter Ridsdale, when they arrived at Istanbul airport
    on Wednesday (October 18).



    Helmeted riot police and waiters with bow ties greeted
    some 140 Leeds United fans when they arrived in the Turkish city
    of Istanbul on Wednesday (October 18) for the high-security UEFA
    Champions League clash with Besiktas.

    Fears of a repeat of violence earlier this year between
    English and Turkish fans have led to extraordinary security
    arrangements for the match.

    The English fans were escorted by dozens of policemen with
    guns and helmets to a marina near the airport where they boarded
    a smart cruiser that was to take them into the city centre to
    watch the group H match in the Inonu Stadium.

    "That's the way goes, but it's not problem. Everybody has
    done very well, everyone is safe and secure. They're going to
    have a great evening. As I say let's just hope we get result and
    we get let's hope they're safe and sound back to Leeds tomorrow"
    said Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale before fans left airport for
    the boat trip.

    The heavy security was in place following the deaths of two
    Leeds fans who died at the hands of Turks in a street brawl on
    April 5, the day before Leeds played Galatasaray in the first
    leg of last season's UEFA Cup semi-final.

    Four men face murder charges for the killings and a
    principal suspect told a Turkish court that drunken Britons had
    provoked the clashes by urinating on the Turkish flag.

    Following that violence English and Turkish fans also
    clashed in Copenhagen before the UEFA Cup final between Arsenal
    and Galatasaray in May.

    "After the trouble this is a necessity. The police are
    making it easier. I don't like the fact that we need them but
    it's nice after the last trip," said John Green before he
    boarded the pleasure cruiser decked out with tables and chairs.

    Waiters were ready to serve the English fans Turkish
    meatballs and salad on the boat while organisers hustled a large
    Besiktas flag and a table of team merchandise off the boat
    before the Leeds supporters arrived.

    UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, said on Wednesday they
    backed plans to treat Leeds fans to a boat tour of Istanbul to
    prevent any repeat of earlier violence between English and
    Turkish supporters.

    A police vessel carrying around 20 officers tracked the boat
    carrying the Leeds supporters.

    The fans will be taken by bus to a port for a boat tour of
    the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus straits that will last
    until about an hour before the 1845 GMT kickoff time.

    They will then be hurried back to the airport after the
    final whistle for an immediate return to Britain.



  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register