October 13 - First Ever Merseyside Derby

WHERE would football be without it’s derbies? Passion, glory, local bragging rights and sometimes even silverware are up for grabs when two great rivals meet. Today in 1894 saw the first installment of English football’s biggest derby, as Everton and Liverpool fans were telling each other to ‘calm down’ as the Merseyside Derby was played out for the first time.

Nothing polarizes the City of Culture like football. In Liverpool, you’re either Red or Blue. Cultural, social or even family ties matter little in what is known as the ‘Friendly Derby’ due to the number of colleagues, mates and families who are on opposing sides. This has historically meant that the intense scenes that you might see at a Real v Barca-type game, where pigs head’s and whiskey bottles can end up on the pitch are typically avoided.

That’s not to say that Derby day in Liverpool doesn’t lack passion. For both sets of fans it’s one of the first games they’ll look for when the fixtures are released and the players and managers don’t normally need any help egging them on. Former Liverpool boss Bill Shankley claimed that “If Everton were playing at the bottom of the garden, I’d pull the curtains”. Legend also has it that in the 1920s Liverpool’s Irish goalkeeper Elisha Scott passed the Everton striker Dixie Dean in the street one day and when Dean nodded his head to him, Scott leapt to the floor, saving an imaginary header, a bit like you would when you’re eight years old.

Relations between the two clubs became strained following the Heysel disaster, as Everton were not allowed to enter the European Cup due to the UEFA ban on English clubs. And don’t get Everton fans started about who the real team in Liverpool is. As the ‘People’s Club,’ Everton were the original tenants of Anfield until a rent dispute saw them move across Stanley Park in 1892.

Two years later in 1894 it was Everton who drew first blood, as they beat the Reds 3-0 at Goodison Park. It was another 5 games until Liverpool claimed their first scalp with a 3-1 win at Anfield. And it’s Liverpool who have had more joy over the years, having won 77 of the 203 clashes, compared to Everton’s 64 victories. Classic matches such as the 4-4 FA Cup clash in 1991 and the 1986 and 1989 FA Cup finals have given generations of Scousers plenty of reasons to shout about.

See some classic 80s Scouse action, perms and all, and join us tomorrow for a lesson in people skills with another one of those mad goalkeepers.