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End of an era: Reliving Goodison Park’s greatest Merseyside derbies

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End of an era: Reliving Goodison Park’s greatest Merseyside derbies
End of an era: Reliving Goodison Park’s greatest Merseyside derbies

New Delhi: The thunderous roar of Goodison Park, a century-old rivalry forged in the heart of Merseyside will be on display for the one last time as Everton hosts its last league derby against Liverpool tonight. For 130 years, Everton and Liverpool have engaged in a rivalry as intense as it is historic. On 13 October 1894, both teams locked horns for the very first time with the hosts clinching a resounding 3-0 victory.

Back then, the phrase “Merseyside derby” hadn’t been coined but the seeds of an enduring battle were firmly witnessed over the years. Now, as the historic ground prepares to host its final premier league derby before moving to a stunning new home at Bramley Moore Dock next season everybody is excited to witness the last grunts at Goodison Park.

In 119 derbies at Goodison, the local rivals have recorded 41 wins each and 37 draws, creating countless unforgettable moments. As the curtain falls on this historic chapter, let’s relive six of the most iconic clashes that defined this fierce battle.

Everton 1-0 Liverpool (11 March, 1967)

The season kicked off in style at Goodison Park with the Charity Shield setting the tone for what would become a memorable year. Before the match started, England heroes Ray Wilson and Roger Hunt proudly showcased the World Cup trophy they had lifted that summer. Following them, Ron Yeats displayed Liverpool’s league title trophy while Brian Labone carried Everton’s FA Cup symbolizing a city brimming with football glory.

 

 

When fate brought the two teams together in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the excitement reached fever pitch. Ticket demand was so overwhelming that Liverpool made the unprecedented move of setting up eight massive screens at Anfield to broadcast the game live from Goodison Park. With 65,000 fans packed into Goodison and another 40,000 watching at Anfield, the match drew the largest crowd ever recorded for an FA Cup match outside of a final. Alan Ball cemented himself in the annals of Merseyside as he scored the decisive goal, sealing a legendary victory.

Everton 0-5 Liverpool (6 November, 1982)

 

For Everton fans, it remains a derby to forget but for Liverpool supporters, it was a day of perfection so unforgettable that chants about Ian Rush’s heroics still echo from the Kop era. Rush was unstoppable, netting not once, not twice, but four times as Liverpool handed Everton their heaviest derby defeat at Goodison Park. But the scoreline only scratches the surface of the story.

Facing a defensive crisis, Everton manager Howard Kendall gave a debut to Glenn Keeley, who had joined on loan just a week earlier. Keeley hadn’t played that season due to a standoff with Blackburn and was unaware of a new rule that saw players sent off for professional fouls. The match was already heading in Liverpool’s favour with the visitors leading 1-0 when Kenny Dalglish broke through on goal in the 37th minute. Keeley brought him down expecting only a booking. “I genuinely thought it would be a yellow card,” he later recalled, “so the red card was a real shock.”

Down to 10 men the Toffees collapsed. Rush tore his boyhood club apart in the second half, leaving a shell-shocked Neville Southall in goal. Keeley never played for Everton again and Southall was sent on loan to Port Vale soon after to regain his confidence.

Everton 4-4 Liverpool (20 February, 1991)

 

After a goalless first meeting at Anfield, the Merseyside rivals played out an exhilarating draw, which ended up being Kenny Dalglish’s final match before resigning as manager of the Reds. Kenny Dalgish’s team were top of the standings going into the fifth-round replay but were showing signs of ageing. In a classic FA Cup clash, Four times the Reds led and four times Toffees drew level, with Tony Cotte equalising six minutes from the end of extra time after Liverpool’s error. 

Dalglish later admitted that one of his decisions to delay the move to deploy Jan Molby in defence stemmed from hesitation. But that moment highlighted a deeper issue within the team. The Liverpool Echo captured the anticipation perfectly with the headline: “Match of a lifetime.” While the game lived up to its expectations but soon its significance was overshadowed by a shocking turn of events less than 48 hours later.

On Friday morning, Liverpool held a press conference where Dalglish announced his resignation. The strain of leading the club through the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster including attending numerous funerals had understandably taken a profound toll on the iconic manager. 

The venue for the second replay of the tie was decided by the flip of a coin, landing on Goodison Park. Under caretaker manager Ronnie Moran Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat marking an end to a turbulent chapter.

Everton 2-3 Liverpool (16 April, 2001)

 

Liverpool have made a habit of breaking Everton hearts in dramatic fashion and long before Sadio Mane or Divock Origi wrote their names into derby folklore, it was 36-year-old Gary McAllister who stole the show with a moment of magic from almost 40 yards. Back in 2001, Gerard Houllier’s side desperately needed a win at Goodison Park to keep their Champions League hopes alive after slipping out of the top three in recent weeks. Adding to the pressure, Liverpool hadn’t won at Goodison for 11 long years.

The Easter Monday evening kick-off only added to the tension, with a fiery atmosphere both inside and outside the ground. The match was ill-tempered, featuring 12 bookings including two for Igor Biscan which left Liverpool playing with 10 men. Despite the setback, they fought on but frustrations mounted after Robbie Fowler missed a penalty and David Unsworth’s late goal brought Everton level.

Deep into stoppage time with the score tied and the game seemingly destined to end in frustration for Liverpool, a free-kick was awarded 44 yards from goal. Most assumed McAllister would whip the ball into the box but the veteran midfielder had other ideas. Stealing a few yards forward he struck a bold and brilliant shot that caught Paul Gerrard off guard, nestling inside the near post.

The stunning winner restored Liverpool’s belief, propelling them to complete a famous cup treble that season and clinch third place in the league ahead of Leeds United. McAllister’s audacious strike remains one of the derby’s most unforgettable moments.

Everton 2-0 Liverpool (24 April, 2024)

 

The most recent Merseyside derby was also one of the most celebrated ones Everton have not tasted a victory at Goodison Park for 14 years. Jurgen Klopp had never lost at Goodison before this. Sean Dyche’s team were fighting to avoid Premier League relegation at this time and the Reds were challenging for the title, making the stakes impossibly high for both sides.

What followed stunned everyone. Everton produced a performance full of grit, intensity, and determination, the qualities that had been painfully missing for much of a difficult season. Even Klopp described the game as “horrible to watch” for his side. Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin sent Goodison into a frenzy, sparking chants of “You lost the league at Goodison Park.”

The atmosphere was electric with the old stadium rocking in a way only Goodison can. That night it became a fortress where every Toffee seemed to channel their passion into the players. Yes, the ground may be ageing, plagued with obstructed views and outdated facilities but moments like that remind everyone why it will be deeply missed when the club moves on next season.

 As Everton prepares to leave Goodison Park, relive six unforgettable Merseyside derby clashes that shaped the fierce rivalry with league leaders Liverpool.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today

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