A village was in shock today after a pub landlord was stabbed to death in Turkey during violent clashes between football fans.

Kevin Speight, landlord of the Bay Horse in Farsley, was one of two Leeds United supporters fatally wounded in the streets of Istanbul after travelling to watch tonight's UEFA Cup semi-final tie with Galatasaray.

Robert Johnson, landlord of the nearby Old Hall in Back Lane, Farsley, said of Mr Speight: "I didn't know him well, but had spoken to him several times. He always seemed a nice bloke and we got on fine. As landlords we had a mutual respect for each other."

Although the match will go ahead, the deaths prompted the scrapping of flights to the city leaving scores of stunned and disappointed fans stranded at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

The Foreign Office named the other dead man as 37-year-old Christopher Loftus from Leeds.

It was thought that fighting broke out in the city centre after a group of Leeds fans were involved in an argument with workmen in a passing van. Turkish police were today taking statements from some 20 Leeds supporters who witnessed the knife attack in Taksim Square.

At least four other Leeds fans were injured in clashes, although only one remained in hospital today, the Foreign Office said.

Turkish television showed footage of running battles between rival fans, with chairs and bottles being thrown as youths rampaged through the streets.

Friends of one of the British victims were pictured giving him the kiss of life. The film showed the heavily-bloodstained man being bundled into a taxi before he was taken to hospital.

The tragedy led the Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale to urge fans planning to travel to remain in West Yorkshire.

He added: "Everyone connected with Leeds United sends their heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of the two supporters who have been killed."

Club officials were also urging anyone already in Istanbul ahead of the game to avoid the city centre and remain indoors until tonight's match at the Ali Sami Yen stadium.

Leeds supporters reported that hordes of Turks attacked them after emerging from shops, restaurants and cafes brandishing bottles and glasses.

Mr Ridsdale said: "It is a tragedy. One minute I was talking to Galatasaray directors to promote the friendship between the two clubs and the next minute I received a telephone call telling me there had been some problems in town and a fan had been killed.

"It is obviously a horrendous situation and something I have never been through before. It is going down as one of those black nights in history."

One Leeds United fan in Britain, who spoke to fellow supporters on their mobile phones in Istanbul after the violence, said "absolute mayhem" had broken out.

"There were about 30 Leeds fans in a bar and then it all kicked off somehow. Then they said Turks came out of shops, restaurants and cafes and attacked them," said the supporter, who did not want to be named.

"They said the Turks were carrying bottles, knives, glasses, anything they could get their hands on and just rushed at them.

Chief Superintendent Steve Matthews, of West Yorkshire Police, who travels with the club on their European trips, said: "We had taken precautions against violence but we never expected anything like this."

Paul Thomas, international co-ordinator of the Football Supporters Association and a Leeds United season ticket holder, said he had advised friends against going to Turkey because of the Galatasaray fans' reputation.

"The fans have a bad reputation as well so I warned my mates not to go.

"But the worst thing is that there is never any police protection for the fans there. Even if the Leeds lot were being a problem it is their job to get in between the two sets of fans to stop anything happening."

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