The Merseyside derby is the name given to football matches between Everton and Liverpool, two major clubs from Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is the longest running top-flight derby in England, having been played continuously since the 1962–63 season. Part of the rivalry is due to the proximity of the two clubs, whose home grounds are within eyesight of each other across Stanley Park, Everton at Goodison Park and Liverpool at Anfield.[1][2]
Traditionally, the Merseyside derby was referred to as the “friendly derby” because of the large number of families with both Liverpool and Everton supporters[3] and was one of the few that did not enforce total fan segregation.[4] The 1984 Football League Cup Final at Wembley saw almost all sections of the ground mixed and combined chants of “Merseyside, Merseyside” and “Are you watching Manchester?”[citation needed] Since the mid-1980s, however, the rivalry has intensified on and off the field, and since the inception of the Premier League has had more red cards than any other game.
Everton F.C. were founded in 1878 and from 1884 played their home matches at Anfield, which was owned by club chairman John Houlding. Several board members of Everton were members of the Liberal Party who were associated with the National Temperance Federation whilst Houlding was a Conservative Party member and a brewer whose business interests were diametrically opposed to the temperance movement. Politics and disputes over money meant that Houlding was increasingly at odds with other members of the Everton board. The result was that in 1892 the Everton directors vacated Anfield and purchased a new ground at Goodison Park on the other side of Stanley Park. Houlding responded by founding a new club to use Anfield: Liverpool.
The professional clubs of the 1890s attracted much interest among the public, on and off the field. The 1867 Reform Act had given what would become football attending masses the opportunity to vote in the local and national elections. Everton and Liverpool attendances would reach around 10–15,000 in a local authority ward with a population of 23,000. Local politicians saw involvement in the two football clubs as an opportunity to gain media exposure to the local electorate.
At Everton board level, the main friction that emerged was that between the retention of an autocratic ownership structure and the creation of a more democratic one which closely mapped the sociopolitical divide.
Religion is sometimes put forward as a reason for the split with Liverpool founder Houlding a prominent Orangeman and Everton’s new chairman George Mahon a rival Liberal Home Rule advocating MP[further explanation needed], but at the time of the split, among the Everton committee members, James Clement Baxter was the only Catholic, the rest were Protestants.
Friendly derby
There are a number of reasons for the “friendly derby” tag. Firstly the clubs are situated in the north of the city and very close to each other (400m), with only Stanley Park separating the two. Everton actually played at Anfield, now Liverpool’s ground, before a rent dispute with the ground owners saw Everton relocate to Goodison Park and the formation of Liverpool F.C. From 1902 to 1932 the two clubs even shared the same matchday programme. Today there are no evident geographical, political, social or religious divides as in other derbies, although for many years a sectarian divide did exist within the city. It is unclear how (if at all) this influenced the support bases of the two clubs and more recent research has indicated that it was more likely to have been a political allegiance that influenced support.[7] During the 1950s and 1960s Everton became known as the Catholic club mainly as a result of successful Irish players Tommy Eglington, Peter Farrell and Jimmy O’Neill as well as manager Johnny Carey. This in turn caused Liverpool to be thought of as Protestant club, not signing an Irish Catholic until Ronnie Whelan in 1979.[8] However, it should be noted that this notional divide was never seen as a basis for supporting a certain side as is the case with Celtic and Rangers. In truth both teams have strong support from all denominations as well as many fans from Presbyterian North Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Most importantly, the actual clubs themselves did not act to strengthen sectarian divides and in fact both clubs stem from a Methodist origin.
Unlike other local derbies (such as the Bristol, Birmingham and Stoke derbies, where the clubs are separated by long distances across their towns), in Liverpool violence between Evertonians and Liverpudlians is a rarity; however, in the fallout from the Heysel Stadium disaster, fan relationships became strained, with Everton fans blaming Liverpool hooligans for their subsequent ban from European club competitions. However, relations improved after the Hillsborough disaster when both sets of fans rallied together, with Evertonians even joining in on the boycott of The Sun while Everton and Liverpool scarves were intertwined stretching across Stanley Park between Anfield and Goodison Park. Recently, after the murder of 11-year-old Evertonian Rhys Jones in a gun crime incident in 2007, Liverpool Football Club invited the victim’s parents and older brother to Anfield for a Champions League match. The Z-Cars theme tune “Johnny Todd”, the song to which Everton traditionally run out, was played for the first time ever at Anfield while the victim’s family stood on the pitch wearing Everton shirts and scarves. A standing ovation was given before “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was played. Upon the complete vindication of Liverpool fans at the Hillsborough disaster in August 2012 Everton entertained Newcastle United at Goodison Park. The sides were lead out by two children wearing Everton and Liverpool shirts with the number 9 and 6 on the back. An announcer read out the names of all the 96 victims while “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by The Hollies was played to a standing ovation.
The city of Liverpool is statistically the most successful football city in England with Everton and Liverpool winning a combined 27 league titles, and there has never been a season without one of either Everton or Liverpool competing in the top flight. Both clubs have rich histories, with Everton being one of the 12 founder members of the Football League. Everton have only been relegated twice and have competed in over 100 seasons of top-flight football, more than any other English club. To date, Everton have won nine League Championships, five FA Cups and one European Cup Winners Cup. Thus, they have the only UEFA trophy that Liverpool never won. Liverpool have won the European Cup 5 times, more than any other English club, have eighteen top-flight titles, have the FA Cup on 7 occasions, the Football League Cup a record 8 times, and three UEFA Cups.
Since 1892, the clubs have appeared almost every year in the Liverpool Senior Cup, although Liverpool, Everton and Tranmere Rovers only field reserve sides against the likes of Prescot Cables, Southport and Marine. Everton hold 45 titles while Liverpool have won 39.
Everton and Liverpool also have affiliated women’s teams playing in the FA WSL. Most recently in 2013, Liverpool Ladies won the FA WSL league and subsequently qualified for European competition for the next season.[9]
Modern-day derbies
During the 1960s, Liverpool and Everton were regular winners of domestic trophies, but while Liverpool went from strength to strength in the 1970s and 1980s, Everton went through a relatively barren spell after their 1970 title triumph and did not win a major trophy for the next 14 years.
Everton, however, started to emerge as a serious threat to Liverpool’s dominance of the domestic scene following the appointment of Howard Kendall as manager at the start of the 1981–82 season. The first Merseyside derby that Kendall oversaw was at Anfield on 7 November, when his side lost 3–1 to Bob Paisley’s.[10] This saw Liverpool standing seventh in the league and Everton 13th.[11] An identical scoreline followed in the return game at Goodison Park in late March, by which time Liverpool had overcome a dismal start to the season to muscle in on a title race which they eventually won, while Everton were still mid-table.[12]
Historical league game outcomes from the Merseyside derby until 2008.
Everton win — blue, Liverpool win — red, Draw — yellow
In 1982–83, the final season of Bob Paisley’s management before he retired to make way for Joe Fagan, Liverpool were champions once again with Everton finishing mid-table, and the most notable of the two derbies occurred in early November when Liverpool triumphed 0–5 at Goodison Park. The return match at Anfield in mid-March brought a goalless draw.[13]
1983–84 was the season when Everton (who won the FA Cup at the end of the campaign) really started to emerge as a serious threat to Liverpool. Though Liverpool won the league title and Everton still couldn’t even make the top five, Liverpool needed a replay to see off Everton 1–0 in the League Cup final at Wembley. The Anfield derby in early November saw Liverpool triumph 3–0, while the clash at Goodison Park four months later ended in a 1–1 draw.[14]
The 1984–85 season began with a Merseyside derby in the FA Charity Shield at Wembley, when league champions Liverpool faced FA Cup winners Everton in a game which Everton won 1–0 due to an own goal by Bruce Grobbelaar. The first league clash came on 20 October 1984, when a 0–1 win for Everton at Anfield saw Howard Kendall’s team occupy fourth place in the league and show signs of challenging for the title for the first time in his four seasons in charge, while Liverpool were a lowly 17th and just 2 points outside the relegation zone.[15] Liverpool’s final game of the season came on 23 May when they lost 1–0 to Everton (who still had two games left to play) at Goodison Park. Everton had been crowned champions by this stage, while Liverpool had rallied since their terrible start to the season to occupy second place.[16][17]
1985–86 was perhaps the most exciting season for the fans of both clubs, as Liverpool and Everton battled it out for both the league title and the FA Cup. The first Merseyside derby of the season came at Goodison Park on 21 September 1985 and was won 2–3 by Liverpool, who stood second behind Manchester United while Everton occupied sixth place.[18] Everton triumphed 0–2 in the return match at Anfield five months later, by which time Everton had just taken over from Manchester United as league leaders and Liverpool were eight points behind them in second place.[19] The climax to this exciting campaign came at Wembley Stadium when Liverpool and Everton contested the first all Merseyside FA Cup final on 10 May 1986. An early goal by Gary Lineker suggested that Everton could gain revenge on Liverpool for beating them to the league title by defeating them in the FA Cup final, but in the second half the tables were turned as a double from Ian Rush and another goal from Craig Johnston made Liverpool only the fifth English club to complete the double.[20]
The FA Charity Shield for 1986 was shared between Liverpool and Everton, who drew 1–1 at Wembley, but the first league derby of the season between the two clubs did not happen until late November in a goalless draw at Goodison Park. Both clubs were challenging for the title at this stage alongside Arsenal (leaders), Nottingham Forest and unlikely contenders Luton Town and Coventry City.[21] The League Cup quarter final on 21 January 1987 saw Liverpool win 0–1 at Goodison Park. The Anfield derby in late April saw Liverpool triumph 3–1, but it was not enough to prevent Everton from winning the title within the next couple of weeks.[22] The 1986–87 season was the last time that Everton overshadowed Liverpool until Everton’s dominance over their local rivals between 2012 and 2014.
In the 1988–89 season, Everton were Liverpool’s first opponents in a competitive game after the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, which resulted in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans at the FA Cup semi-final. The game between the two sides was a league fixture on 3 May which ended in a goalless draw.[23] On 20 May, the two sides met at Wembley for the second all Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons. The match went into extra time before Liverpool triumphed 3–2, with Ian Rush (twice) and John Aldridge scoring for Liverpool and both of Everton’s goals coming from Stuart McCall.[24]
Side-by-side comparison of Everton’s and Liverpool’s final league positions beginning in 1889
By 1990–91, Everton were in something of a slump (finishing ninth that season having started the season near the foot of the table), while Liverpool finished second in the league, but the campaign still brought one of the most pulsating clashes between the two clubs. Liverpool and Everton were drawn for the FA Cup fifth round at Anfield on 17 February 1991. The match ended in a goalless draw, and the replay three days later ended in a thrilling 4–4 draw at Goodison Park, in which Peter Beardsley scored twice. 1990–91 was Kenny Dalglish’s last season as Liverpool manager, as he resigned two days after the 4–4 draw with Everton. It was also the last season of “replays of replays” as penalties after extra time took over as the competition’s ultimate tie winner decider for the 1991–92 season. The second replay ended with a 1–0 win for Everton on 27 February, and ended the Reds double hopes.[25]
The close season of 1991 saw Peter Beardsley move from Liverpool to Everton, followed within a year by defender Gary Ablett, causing more tension in the Merseyside derby, though the first couple of years after their transfers saw Liverpool and Everton firmly overtaken by Manchester United and the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal as the biggest challengers in English football. On 7 December 1992, Everton defeated Liverpool 2–1 at Goodison Park in a game where Peter Beardsley became only the second man in history to score for both clubs in the derby.[26]
The 1993–94 derby at Anfield saw Liverpool defeat Everton 2–1, not having much effect for a mid-table Liverpool side but increasing the risk of relegation (a battle which was ultimately won) for Everton. Perhaps the most notable event of this game was the winning goal by Robbie Fowler, who turned 19 the following month and was one of the most promising young players in England at the time.[27]
The next notable city derby came on 18 October 1997, when Everton triumphed 2–0 at Goodison in a victory that ultimately saved them from relegation (they only stayed up by having a greater goal difference than Bolton Wanderers) and helped end Liverpool’s title bid.[28]
The 2000–01 season saw one of the most exciting derbies of the Premier League era. Liverpool, having won the first derby at Anfield, completed the double with a thrilling 2–3 victory over Everton at Goodison in April, with the injury-time winner by Gary McAllister proving to be crucial at the end of the season in helping Liverpool qualify for the UEFA Champions League — which replaced the European Cup in 1992 — for the first time.
By the end of the 2001–02, Liverpool had finished above Everton in the league for 15 seasons in succession, but 2002–03 saw Everton showing signs of eclipsing them for the first time in years. After a brilliant run of form saw Liverpool top the Premier League in October, an 11-match winless league run followed their 2–0 home win over West Ham United in early November and during that barren spell they drew 0–0 at home to an Everton side who were actually above them and looking like qualifying for Europe after several seasons of persistent relegation battles. However, they were on course for their fifth-place finish when they next met Everton on 19 April and won 1–2 at Goodison Park, a result which pushed their city neighbours towards seventh place and narrowly deprived them of European football.[29]
In 2004–05, Everton finished fourth in the league and Liverpool came fifth, the first time since Everton’s 1987 title win that Liverpool had finished below them. In a season which saw Liverpool win the Champions League title, Everton gave their neighbours a reminder of how far they had progressed under the management of David Moyes with a 1–0 win at Goodison Park on 11 December 2004, though Liverpool won the return match at Anfield 2–1 three months later.[30]
In the derby in 2006, Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and James Beattie of Everton wore the number “08” as the city had been voted European Capital of Culture for 2008[31]
Everton had a setback and finished mid-table in 2005–06, while Liverpool’s compensation for their prolonged title wait came in the form of a narrow FA Cup final triumph. And Liverpool triumphed 3–1 in both of the Merseyside derbies that season.
In 2006–07, Everton recovered to finish in the top six, while Liverpool finished in the top four, and there was an early season triumph for the blue half of Liverpool as Everton crushed Liverpool 3–0 at Goodison Park in early September. They also held them to a goalless draw at Anfield in early February and helped hold them behind pace setters Manchester United and Chelsea.[32]
Liverpool did the double over Everton in 2007–08. However, the meeting at Goodison Park was shrouded in controversy when after a coming together between Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Everton’s Tony Hibbert, referee Mark Clattenburg awarded Liverpool a penalty and seemed to change his mind in favour of a red card for Hibbert after Gerrard appeared to have said something to him, when most pundits felt a caution would have been sufficient. Everton dominated the game after going behind, but were denied what seemed to be two clear penalties in the closing stages of the game when Joleon Lescott was twice wrestled to the ground by Jamie Carragher at Everton corners. The victory helped secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for Liverpool, leaving Everton to settle for a UEFA Cup place.[citation needed] Referee Clattenburg was not chosen to officiate again at Goodison Park after that match until December 2013, six years later, and in that period only officiated one Everton game, away at Aston Villa.
In the 2008–09 season, Liverpool and Everton met four times, Liverpool winning the League encounter at Goodison Park 0–2 while drawing the other League fixture that dealt a severe blow to their title ambitions. The FA Cup saw Everton defeat ten-man Liverpool in extra time in the replay thanks to an injury-time winner by Dan Gosling after a 1–1 draw at Anfield. That season, both teams were a major force as Liverpool challenged for the title while Everton came close to qualifying for the Champions League and progressed to the 2009 FA Cup Final, only to fall to Chelsea.[citation needed]
When the sides met in the 2009–10 season, both clubs were suffering from a disastrous start to the season. Both games followed similar patterns, with Everton enjoying the greater possession and creating more chances in the games, but it was Liverpool who scored the goals in a 0–2 victory at Goodison Park and 1–0 at Anfield, the latter thanks to a goal from Dirk Kuyt.[citation needed]
In the Goodison Park encounter on 17 October 2010 in the 2010–11 season, Everton won 2–0 with goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta, while the return league game at Anfield in January 2011 ended in a 2–2 draw.
In the 2011–12 season, Liverpool and Everton met three times, twice in the league and once in the FA Cup, with Liverpool winning all three. The first meeting took place on 1 October 2011, with Liverpool winning 0–2 in the league at Goodison Park (goals from Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez) against an Everton side depleted by Jack Rodwell’s early, controversial red card, which was later rescinded by The Football Association. On 13 March 2012, Liverpool won the Anfield fixture 3–0 after a hat-trick by Steven Gerrard, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the derby since Ian Rush in 1982.[33] The third meeting of the season was the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 14 April. Everton took the lead through Nikica Jelavić’s goal in the first half. Liverpool equalised through a Luis Suárez goal midway through the second half, and Andy Carroll scored the winning goal for Liverpool in the 87th minute.[34] However, despite Liverpool having success throughout the season against their traditional rivals, Everton finished one place higher than Liverpool at the end of the Premier League season.
Tranmere Rovers
Matches between Everton/Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers, based in Birkenhead on the other side of the River Mersey, are also classed as Merseyside derbies, but as Tranmere have spent all of their history outside the top-flight; competitive matches are a rarity. They have occasionally faced Everton and Liverpool in cup competitions. Their last meeting with both clubs came in the FA Cup in 2001. Tranmere caused an upset by beating Everton 3–0 in the fourth round,[35] before losing 4–2 to Liverpool in the quarter-finals.
