Encounters between Liverpool and Everton have always been about tribal warfare, as is the unwritten law of football, and have always had a more ferocious atmosphere to them compared to other clashes. Tackles fly in left, right and centre, both sets of supporters become more abusive to each other with every foul that goes unpunished. The passion filters through the ground in an instant. That is the setting for every derby and has been for the past 15 years.
The above image will no doubt draw criticism in some quarters for its depiction of Liverpool supporters in last season's Merseyside derby at Anfield. The intention was to highlight the boiling point that the atmosphere and animosity in these games has reached and it makes the point perfectly.
The above image will no doubt draw criticism in some quarters for its depiction of Liverpool supporters in last season's Merseyside derby at Anfield. The intention was to highlight the boiling point that the atmosphere and animosity in these games has reached and it makes the point perfectly.
But why have things been allowed to escalate to this volatile level?
The Guardian's Gregg Roughley attempted to shed some light on the how, what and wherefore that has led to emotions boiling over on the terraces ahead of the Anfield derby in February 2007.
He wrote: "The perpetuation of the myth suits the family-friendly Premiership, but the reality is a little different: the modern-day derby is a hate-ridden, noxious affair that should come with a health warning, lest one inhales the fumes rising off the Gladwys Street or Spion Kop. Reds and Blues are no longer compatible. Toss a Red into the Gladwys Street, or a Toffee into the Kop and the reaction is as explosive as dropping a granule of zinc into sulphuric acid.
Much of the sourness was born of the Heysel disaster in 1985. Everton had just pipped Liverpool to the league title with arguably their greatest-ever side, containing Peter Reid, Graeme Sharp and Trevor Steven. The subsequent five-year ban prevented Howard Kendall's team from competing for the European Cup, which many Toffees believe they would have won.
Liverpool, however, dusted themselves down and entered a halcyon period of their own in which Kenny Dalglish landed three league titles and two FA Cups. And while Everton struggled through the 90s with frequent flirtations with relegation - offset briefly by their impressive FA Cup win in 1995 - a mediocre Liverpool still managed a couple of cup wins, the occasional half-hearted title challenge and the huge publicity that went with their status as 'Spice Boys'.
Arguably the most laddish of that group, Robbie Fowler, fanned the derby flames further at Anfield in 1999 by responding to Evertonian chants of 'smackhead' by pretending to snort a line of cocaine after converting a penalty in front of Toffees fans. This heightened the blue half of Merseyside's antipathy towards the Reds - particularly as Robbie was a boyhood Evertonian - before Liverpool's cup treble under Gerard Houlier in 2001 prompted the hatred to spill over in most unedifying fashion, as Evertonians hurled Heysel insults at their red counterparts, bringing short a minute's silence at Goodison Park to remember those who died at Hillsborough.
Sadly, the friendly banter may never return - until, perhaps, the on-field disparity between Everton and Liverpool inches towards parity again. Liverpool's imminent mega-bucks takeover makes this highly unlikely, which is a shame. For with Tim Cahill, Andy Johnson and Mikel Arteta, Everton are building a team that could yet have their supporters focusing on the pitch instead of the past.
Yet until sustained success allows Everton to win more than single-game bragging rights over their city rivals, ignore the fairytale and expect to hear chants of 'murderers' and reports of city-centre arrests. A friendly derby? My arse."
Roughley's piece, which can be found in full here, rang so true two years on that it was sorely tempting not to repost the entire article.
Everything written was sadly accurate and one has to wonder why things have been allowed to stoop to this level on both sides of Stanley Park.These games regurgitate hatred and stooping to the lowest common denominator in a warped case of one-upmanship during the annual battles for civic pride. There has never been such a thing as a ‘friendly derby’ in my lifetime, far from it in fact.
My abiding memory of the ill feeling and hatred felt during a Merseyside derby dates back to the game at Anfield in September 1999 which the Blues won thanks to a solitary Kevin Campbell goal. The game is remembered from a personal perspective for Steve Staunton’s appearance in the latter stages of the game as Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper following Sander Westerveld’s dismissal for participating in a reconstruction of the Terry McDermott-Gary Stanley fracas of derby folklore with Francis Jeffers. The Reds had also seen Steven Gerrard dismissed and, having used all three substitutes that night, Gerard Houllier was forced to use veteran defender Staunton as Liverpool’s stopper. He did surprisingly well, tipping over a close range effort from Abel Xavier – who would later become a Liverpool player in 2002 – and kept a clean sheet during his 15 minutes in the goalkeeping spotlight.
As with last season’s derby, off pitch events took precedent as I was sat a row in front of Everton supporters who had got hold of tickets for the dad and lads’ section of the Kop. They were not very subtle in their appearance; all decked out in Everton shirts and all blue attire and their behaviour throughout the match. The ten or so Blues sang some terrace favourites about their hatred of their hosts and some pretty vile ones at that.
Walking away from the ground at the final whistle there seemed to be an abundance of Evertonians dotted around than there would have been normally. Obviously they were revelling in the victory as was their want. The one incidentthat sticks out for me was one of an unashamed Blue who stood in the doorway of someone's house on Venice Street, revelling in the result with his mate on his mobile phone and as we walked past he said: “Yeah they’re all walking past sick as anything. It’s bloody great!” - a fairly innocent comment but my dad didn’t see it that way and took it upon himself to shout “enjoy it blue*****!” in response. The kind gent was polite enough to shout back "The blue boys are back in business - yer avin' that yer murderin' red***** *****!" as we were halfway down the road.Pleasantries may have gone out the window but who said the romance of derby day was dead?
Last season's Anfield derby typified how far this vitriolic hatred between red and blue has boiled over to their clubs to the point where bitterness meets political correctness and idiocy. In the aftermath of Liverpool's 1-0 win in March last year, Merseyside Police met with representatives from both the Reds and Everton to investigate allegations made on both sides of Stanley Park about incidents that occurred during the game - all of which occurred off the field of play.
Everton alleged that their captain Phil Neville was spat at and punched by Liverpool supporters as he prepared to take a throw in. Television pictures show Neville having his shirt tugged and being goaded by several Liverpool supporters when he attempted to take the throw in. More detailed surveillance showed one supporters spitting three times on the Everton captain’s shirt. Many have argued that, although it was indefensible, what happened to Neville is part and parcel of the passion and rivalry felt in the game that has existed for decades. Neville is an ex-Manchester United player and the brother of Gary Neville - notorious for his hatred of Liverpool Football Club, the city of Liverpool and its people. Regardless of his status as Everton captain or what he does during his time at the club, Neville is a Mancunian and that is how he will always be remembered and treated by Liverpool supporters. The two culprits received banning orders which restricts them from attending any football stadiums in the next three years in addition to a lifetime ban from Anfield which Liverpool FC imposed.
Whilst this incident was the most serious to be reported from the game the complaint was not the first lodged. The to-ing and fro-ing of claims and counter claims came from Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez who singled out Steven Gerrard for praise for his performance in the victor and added a risqué comment relating to chants about Gerrard's family aimed at the Liverpool skipper by the travelling supporters. Benitez made similarly subtle jibes at Liverpool's neighbours after the same fixture in 2007 when he referred to Everton as a 'small club'.
In the days that followed more incidents that took place during the game were logged with Merseyside Police, who were called to investigate several allegations including claims that Everton supporters chanted about incarcerated Liverpool supporter Michael Shields and the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 96 supporters lost their lives. The home support was accused of singing similar songs aimed at Everton's Joleon Lescott. Throughout this childlike bickering by club officials, where many a "their fans said this" and "their fans said that" was uttered, one had to wonder how the police could investigate the alleged chants aired at a football match.
In addition to the two games between Liverpool and Everton next week being televised affairs, Merseyside Police are attempting to make sure that there is not a repeat of last February’s incidents and have issued a warning to anyone involved in what Chief Superintendant Dave Lewisdescribed as ‘abhorrent andcriminal chanting' that they will be ejected from the ground if caught and the force’s football intelligence unit will apply for banning orders against the individuals.
It doesn’t look like relations between the two sides will improve, nor will they ever go back to the way they were before all this hatred reared its ugly head. The ill feeling of a minority on both sides of Stanley Park has been passed down to a generation who are remorseless about the chants they will sing inside the ground. For 90 minutes at least twice a season, mutual respect and common decency goes AWOL. There won’t be any chants of ‘Merseyside’ ringing around Anfield on Monday night or indeed next Sunday when the two sides meet in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Despite the honourable intentions of the Liverpool Unites campaign, football is the one issue will continue to divide the city long after the final whistle is blown.
