Turkish violence fuels fears for fans' safety

Fears of trouble when England face Turkey next month were raised after rioting in the aftermath of the Istanbul derby yesterday…

Fears of trouble when England face Turkey next month were raised after rioting in the aftermath of the Istanbul derby yesterday.

Reports today claim Galatasaray fans began throwing missiles on to the pitch after they were denied a late penalty against city rivals Fenerbahce in a 2-2 draw at the Olympic Stadium.

The refusal to award a spot-kick caused a five-minute delay and Gala substitute Hasan Sas was sent off for protesting from the dugout.

The trouble intensified when the final whistle blew and riot police had to form a protective shield around the match referee Muhidin Bosat.

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The English FA have not taken up their ticket allocation for the crucial Euro 2004 qualifying match at the 50,000-capacity Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on October 11th and have advised England fans not to travel to Turkey or to attempt to buy black-market tickets.