Leeds United fan recalls shock he and Istanbul locals felt at killing of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus
Speight and another White, Christopher Lotfus, were both fatally stabbed on April 5 2000, the night before Leeds were due to face Galatasaray at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, in the UEFA Cup semi-final.
Johnson, 55, whose sister-in-law had married a Turkish man, travelled with his father, separately from the official supporters group and stayed with his family.
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Hide Ad“I went on my own,” said the Bramley man, who got his first season ticket in 1978 and came from a family of Whites supporters.
“My sister-in-law married a Galatasaray fan so me and my dad went over a couple of days before the game and stopped at their house.
“My brother went with the Leeds United group and we were supposed to meet them, but we never actually did because of what happened.
“We were allowed to walk around Istanbul because we weren’t with anyone else or on any tour.