Impossible for Leeds United stars to grasp Istanbul pain but family gathering sent strong message - YEP 6/4/22

Jesse Marsch, his Leeds United squad and most of those who bowed their heads in silence outside Elland Road could not comprehend the pain and injustice still burning in the friends and families of Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight, but they were united in remembrance.

By Graham Smyth

The presence of Marsch, his staff and senior players at Tuesday's memorial gathering was important, to show those left suffering by the brutal killings that they are not alone. Even if they did not and cannot ever fully grasp what the victims' loved ones are still feeling, the team wearing the colours to which Chris and Kevin belonged did share, for a moment or two, in the grief.

It was a poignant display of unity from start to finish, with wreaths and scarves laid by Liam Cooper and his team-mates before Gareth Senior, a witness to the violence in Istanbul, spoke about the importance of remembrance and truth.

What was perhaps most endearing about the squad's appearance was the informal feel to proceedings that began when everyone was ready and ended when all that needed to be said had been said. Family gatherings are never slick and at sombre occasions there's often a sweet awkwardness, no one quite knowing how to be or how to act around people with whom they share a connection but no real familiarity. So it was at Elland Road. But family gatherings are genuine and so too was this one.

There was light, in the darkness, with Kalvin Phillips greeting good-natured ribbing over his choice of footwear with his trademark grin. Families can still laugh during sadness. There were tears too, men and women dabbing at their eyes as the emotion became too much to hide or hold in as Senior spoke to the crowd, his own voice trembling at times.

He did not sugarcoat his message, voicing the hurt caused by what some perceived to be an inadequate marking of the anniversary by the club during the Southampton game, lambasting the cowardice of the killers and the misinformation that seeped out of Instanbul thereafter. All present were left in no doubt that while anger, sadness and confusion still wreak havoc and inflict deep wounds, forgetting will never be an option. Families say what they feel they ought to.

Leeds United remembered today.https://t.co/GeCBcz9Atq#lufc

— Leeds United News (@LeedsUnitedYEP) April 5, 2022

Then there was silence. A moment in which to be one family, united.

Cooper and many of his team-mates mingled with supporters afterwards, giving comfort where they could in the form of affection or simply a minute or two of their time. The skipper would later place money behind the bar of The Peacock to pay for the assembled mourners' drinks.

"We know how important this is to the whole fanbase, how it unites the fanbase and how the tragic events were so deeply felt by everybody at the time and still 22 years later," said CEO Angus Kinnear after the gathering.

"We've made a commitment that during our custodianship we'll always take time to remember both gentlemen at this time of year and try and unite the fanbase in remembering them and the tragic event that happened.

"It was great that Jesse and the whole squad agreed to make it a team event and come down to lay flowers and scarves outside the plaque at Elland Road. I think that shows how seriously we take our commitment to making sure their memories aren't forgotten."

Kinnear believes it's difficult for anyone who wasn't involved 22 years ago to fully grasp what those who were have had to go through, so the club's role is to let them express it themselves, as was the case on Tuesday afternoon.

"It runs so deeply within the club you can understand the emotion that was felt and all we can do as a club is give them a platform to share their memories and to speak out against the injustices that happened," he said.

"Since we've been at the club we've always taken time to make sure it's remembered. Kalvin came down last year but this time was a step forward in getting the whole squad to take part.

"The fact they were all prepared to take some time out of their schedules to come from Thorp Arch to Elland Road and be part of a moment that was important to the families.

"It was a fitting event and something we want to take forward as the benchmark of how it should be remembered."

Senior and everyone else impacted by April 5 2000 have no choice but to remember, no matter how painful the memories are.

"It's always difficult, sometimes it seems like it was yesterday and sometimes when you reflect on everything that's happened in the intervening 22 years you realise how long ago it was," he said.

"The events of that night will always have an impact on everyone who was there but also the people it's impacted back at home, the friends and family and everyone that knew both the lads. We will never forget them, we'll always pay our tribute and we've made it quite clear today the club should never forget them as well. What happened that night is bigger than Leeds United and bigger than football or anything else."