As I'm sure most of you know, Harry Kewell has completed a free transfer to Turkish side Galatasaray, from Liverpool.
What you may not know, is that this has led to complete outrage and condemnation amongst many Leeds United fans.
The 29-year-old Aussie, was a member of the Leeds side that played in the UEFA Champions League the same night two Leeds fans were stabbed and killed in Istanbul after a tie with the very same Galatasary, eight years ago.
Now I'm not sure how you all feel about that but surely at some point we have to draw the line and give a man who has quite possibly, had the worst few years of his life, a chance to get on with his career in the way he wants to.
Galatasaray are as Harry Kewell would let you know, a Champions League side!
Why shouldn't he take this opportunity to resurrect his career?
One Leeds fan (after having a go at Kewell for the move) said, if he was to do the right thing he'd be at Leeds trying to get the club back to the EPL!
What or who, is that guy trying to kid?
Another said he was greedy and was going to Turkey for the money and that it was a terrible thing considering what happened eight years ago.
I personally don't think so and wish Harry Kewell all the luck in regaining even a glimpse of the form that made him a Leeds United fan favourite.
Maybe he forgot why Leeds are in the league they're in? Because they were greedy and over paid for and over paid just about every player they had!
The other abusive comments I'll leave on Sky Sports.com and let you all have a look.
I'm fed up with fans over reacting to mere (and I'm in no way demeaning what happened that night in Istanbul) trivialities with rage and abuse!
After all, what has it really got to do with Harry Kewell?
To the football world, I say, let sleeping dogs lie!
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3 months ago
Kewell was a underlying story in WC 2006! He's a really good player!
from 3 months ago
I remember his Leeds days...Great in the air too.
3 months ago
Good article, two hooligans do not make up a big European team, in Galatasaray. While Liverpool's had problems with hooligans back in 1985 against Juventus, it does not tarnish the great club.
I wish him the best of luck in Turkey and believe their league and football is constantly improving and this will turn out to be a properous move for him.
from 3 months ago
Thanks Andy. Nice to know I'm not alone in my thoughts.
3 months ago
the details of the story are actually that these two Leeds fans were drunk and being abusive to Turkish women. a friend of mine was in the city at the time and it was nothing to do with hooliganism. those two guys ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and said the wrong thing in front of the wrong people. having seen drunken English fans in action i cannot say i was surprised at what happened. for these fans to even try to link Kewell to any of that is like linking Hitler to Rommel and his brilliant desert warfare. completely ridiculous. it is sad that they died no doubt but they could have definitely trod a little bit more nimbly in the streets of a foreign country.
from 3 months ago
I didn't want to go into too much detail about the two men as I felt there should be no link made to Herry Kewell. I'm not a tabloid journalist and I'm not trying to sell papers I just thought the reaction of Leeds fans was wrong.
Thanks for the details though mate.
from 3 months ago
how does go screw yourself sound?!
none of you scandolous idiots will stand up and say yes its a bad move, because you all hate us! well thats a bloody good thing. because if your not leeds your no one.
Anyway The fact of the damned matter is that two ENGLISH and LEEDS UNITED fans were stabbed to death because of who they supported....
rumours of the events will circulate but il tell you now it wont go to rest. For what its worth Harry kewell can go and rot in his grave. the scum. hes worse than smith. respect to us fans my backside.
3 months ago
Leeds fans need to move on. Champions League football vs. trying to gain promotion to the Championship? I know which one I'd pick.
from 3 months ago
And me. It became clear that most Leeds fans who wrote in to Skysports.com already hated Kewell for joining Liverpool so that made that statement even less believable.
It also might show why they are giving him even more stick over this move.
3 months ago
Who .....going....... where?
3 months ago
Greedy and going to TURKEY for money.
Bloody Turks!
Glad that sort of thing doesn`t happen in our EPL.
3 months ago
Can completly understand the Leeds point of view but to suggest he should swap the Champions League for League 1 is ridiculous.
3 months ago
i know how the leeds fans must be feeling and it is not nice to have your fellow fans fall fictim to mindless thugs. I myself went to watch Arsenal V Galitasary in the final of the uafa cup years ago and an arsenal fan was stabbed out side the ground. i didnt see it but it left an uneasy feeling with the fans at the time. However harry Kewell is a profeshinal footballer and he has to play his football at the highist level possible. He has made a good move on the basses that the majority of the fans are respecive and will apreciait his afforts for Galitasery. The majority of the fans are well behaved and the club itself cant help that their are thugs supporting their club.
from 3 months ago
Thanks Ben. Always nice to have your comments.
3 months ago
I'm fed up of people claiming to know what happened that night in Istanbul. It seems that if you're not a Leeds fan you automatically assume the two fans who died were hooligans.
Repeat after me, there is no excuse, none whatsoever, for going to watch a football game and being stabbed to death.
The resentment that many Leeds fans feel towards Galatasaray isn't based on the muders (the perpetrator was supposed to be a Besiktas fan anyway) but is related to the way Galatasaray acted as a club after the event i.e. no minute's silence at the game and the Galatasaray team refusing to wear black armbands. Not to mention the numer of sick banners in the stadium and the throat-slitting gestures made towards the Leeds fans.
Having said that, players are always going to play for the biggest club they can. Kewell wants to play Champions League football and there was no way any of the big four in England would have put an offer in for him. Good luck to him.
from 3 months ago
Yes John. I stayed well away from what happened that night in my article because I don't know what happened for sure and for the simple reason I don't think it has much to do with the Kewell transfer.
Thanks for adding your views.
3 months ago
every man has to make a living
3 months ago
I agree with the gist of your article, though I hope he's taken a wage cut because he's never the player he used to be. I would just say that Harry's Kewell's words were almost certainly manufactured by his PR agent, which is possibly one reason Leeds fans don't believe any of it.
from 3 months ago
Probably true mate.
3 months ago
Maybe not the best move by Kewell considering the history there, but that was years ago... And what you said about it coming down to a few hooligans was correct. It wasn't Harry Kewell's fault. He should be free to move wherever he wants.
3 months ago
Im a turkish from Istanbul. I want to say everyone dont forget that football is a game. we must be just a fan of our team. anyway harry Kewell is a big footbaler in the world. and I m not gala's fan. I m besiktas's fan. but ı can say that I became happy that he came and choosed my country :)
3 months ago
Im a turkish from Istanbul. I want to say everyone dont forget that football is a game. we must be just a fan of our team. anyway harry Kewell is a big footbaler in the world. and I m not gala's fan. I m besiktas's fan. but ı can say that I became happy that he came and choosed my country :)
2 months ago
Leeds fans really do have to move on from those killings in Turkey. Yes it was tragic what happened out there, but you can't start blaming players for what happened out there as it has nothing to do with them what so ever. If they had been there that night with these two guys, and provoked the stabbings, then fair enough, they can be blamed and probably would be in jail right now for it. But they're not and they weren't. Remember the two guys and the tragedy that occured, but stop blaming players for moving to the clubs where that happened.
Kewell was a great player before going to Liverpool. He's been rubbish since then and had lots of injury problems since. So fair play to the lad for wanting to make something happen in the latter parts of his career.
As for staying in Leeds, playing for the club etc, it's for every player to decide what they want out of life. They naturally all want more money, and to play regularly and achieve the best they can and win trophies and medals. So you can't tell players to take wage cuts and stay playing with the same team no matter where they are. All of that Leeds team that was relegated was worth a great deal of money, and therefore not surprising that they were all sold to help pay off the debts that the club had incurred. If you wana blame someone, blame Peter Ridsdale for letting the club get into that mess to begin with. The players are not at fault for leaving and helping the club with the money they bring in get back to financial stability is not a crime.
If you were being paid for your job and your employers told you they couldnt carry on paying you or you'd have to take a pay cut, you'd be annoyed too and want to leave no matter how much you loved your job!
So don't start with this bull s**t of Leeds fans all the way and would be there helping the team out right now get back up the leagues. It's all a load of crap!
2 months ago
Harry Kewell....Galatasaray had a good transfer really.Also Im crazy fan of Galatasaray too.If Leeds fan threat Kewell about death......I think they worse than who kill their fan in istanbul.It so ridiculous....Also Kewell not a reason about their deaths.This just a game.Let's watch Kewell's good game;-)!!!...This is a Game.I hope Galatasaray will match liverpool again on champions league on groups.Wait us Liverpool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:-)))).......
2 months ago
Ridiculous - it's like saying a Jew should never be friends with a German! Yes, there will quite possibly always be some animosity in certain quarters but you can't blame everyone who has some distant irrelevant connection just because it suits.
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