Social distancing will not stop Leeds United family paying respects twenty years on from Istanbul

Whites fans Loftus and Speight were both fatally stabbed the night before United’s UEFA Cup semi-final first leg against Turkish side Galatasaray in Istanbul on Sunday, April 5, 2000.

Families and friends of the pair campaigned for years for justice and in 2010 Ali Umi Demir, Ali Baydar, Suleyman Gokhan Guven and Yilmaz Tutush, who were all initially convicted of the murders, lost their appeal and were sent back to prison to serve sentences totalling 28 years and four months.

Loftus and Speight are remembered every day and every year but the duo will be particularly at the forefront of everybody associated with United’s thoughts this weekend.

As football across Europe continues to be suspended due to the ongoing global battle against coronavirus, Leeds have no game this weekend in which fans can unite to pay to tribute to the pair in person but United’s following will be united and pay their respects in other ways.

Social distancing guidelines put in place by the government in a bid to turn the tide against COVID-19 are telling members of the public to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave their household for essentials such as shopping for food, work, health reasons or for one piece of daily exercise.

But social media is expected to be awash with tributes to Loftus and Speight who died supporting the team they loved.

United’s chief executive Angus Kinnear has already paid his own tribute to the duo this weekend with Kinnear stressing the importance to take a moment to remember the pair as the 20th anniversary passes.

“Importantly, this Sunday sees the 20th anniversary of the tragic deaths of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus who died supporting their beloved Leeds United,” said Kinnear.

“I know that the memories of Chris and Kev live on in the hearts of all Leeds United supporters but this weekend, without a game, we should all take a special moment to remember them and the Speight and Loftus families.”

The duo’s names would have been sung from the terraces in Friday night’s scheduled clash at Blackburn Rovers for which Leeds sold their bumper allocation of 8,000 tickets in around half an hour.

Elland Road would have then remembered the pair next Good Friday for the hosting of Stoke City yet United have no real way of knowing when they will return to the field of play in the ongoing battle with coronavirus.

It means the club’s fans are unable to be unite side by side in person this weekend yet the club and its fans will stand as one in remembering two fans who went to support their team and never came back.