Liverpool and Everton Merseyside derby as spiteful as any game in England

[Elano]

Liverpool and Everton Merseyside derby as spiteful as any game in England

Gerrard is subjected to abuse from Everton fans, as the 'friendly derby' has given way to rancorous hostility

It is a global game these days. Some time today a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi will give his envoy the signal to resume talks with AC Milan about a deal to sign Brazil’s finest player on behalf of Manchester City. At the same time Chelsea’s Russian owner claims that he will commence legal action against a newspaper that claimed that he wished to sell the club to the Saudi royal family. And, when the sun rises in Texas and Colorado, Liverpool’s American owners will ponder how to solve a problem like their Spanish manager.

For better or, in some cases, for worse, the Premier League is now truly a league of nations, but there is just the odd occasion that calls to mind The League of Gentlemen. The Merseyside derby is a case in point. It is what Tubbs and Edward Tattsyrup, the fiercely insular shopkeepers in the BBC television series, would call “a local match for local people”. If you are an outsider, forget it. As Edward might say, there is nothing for you at Anfield this evening — or indeed on Sunday, when Liverpool and Everton meet again in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

As football has gone global, Merseyside football has gone parochial, bitterly, bitterly so. Where once, in the 1980s, Everton and Liverpool supporters revelled in a unique friendly rivalry, these days they cannot stand each other. The atmosphere, once likened to a nauseating love-in, is now as poisonous and as spiteful as any in England. It is not as corrosive as those in Glasgow or in Istanbul or in certain South American cities — yesterday’s match in Montevideo between Nacional and Peñarol ended with 53 arrests and one supporter in intensive care after a shooting — but the friendly derby has given way to the kind of rancorous hostility to which this fixture once proved a welcome antidote.

There is a certain revisionism about the “friendly derby”. Some say that it was merely an unfortunate accident that arose from the two clubs dominating English football, enjoying regular trips to Wembley, at a time in the mid-1980s when the Thatcher Government was doing its best to rip the soul out of the city. Revisionists on both sides of Stanley Park look back on the era of Scouse solidarity, the red-and-blue ski-hats and the chants of “Merseyside, Merseyside”, with a mixture of embarrassment and unease. They call it a myth.

What changed? Society changed. Football terrace culture changed. There was also the Heysel Stadium disaster — with Everton supporters feeling that their history was changed irrevocably by the riot involving Liverpool fans before the 1985 European Cup final against Juventus, which resulted in 39 deaths and the exclusion of English clubs from European football — but the two clubs were brought closer than ever by the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, in which 96 Liverpool supporters died. While Heysel remains a highly complex issue, it alone does not explain the way that the rivalry has sunk so far into the gutter that even the ultimate taboo, Hillsborough, has been broken while Steven Gerrard and Phil Neville, two of the nicest footballers you could wish to meet, are subjected to vile, hurtful chants about their young offspring.

The poisoning of the Merseyside rivalry is one of the most depressing developments of the modern era, but it is a microcosm of what is happening elsewhere. Supporters can sit in safety and comfort in all-seater, smoke-free stadiums without fear of being charged by hooligans, but in another sense the atmosphere is more rancorous than in the 1980s. Where once there were generic threats of violence, which might just occasionally be carried out, these days the idiots compose and belt out horrific and deeply personal chants at individuals. Sticks and stones? Try talking to Gerrard, Neville, Sol Campbell, Arsène Wenger and Mido.

Merseyside Police will be out in force this evening, having made clear their intention to clamp down on and eject anyone they find guilty of what they call “criminal chanting”. If the threats from the police have their intended effect, it could be the best thing that has happened to Merseyside football since the 1980s. If they do not — and if the type of poisonous atmosphere, compounded by squabbles with the police, that some fear, is witnessed tonight — you might be advised to avert your gaze and indeed your ears. It is, after all, a local match for local people.

[bez]

No fuck that. It stil lis a friendly derby. Just the way things have become now with football chants being clamped down upon, the 'media' has giving it the label that is an unfriendly derby. I for one now my local pub will be full of blues/reds tonight, all drinking buddies, all friends, and 99% it will be a fun time.

It is a friendly derby, but you have to remember that it is still football. Ok, fair enough some of the chants have gone abit over the top, Everton about Gerrard, Liverpool about Lescott, but still if the 'media' hadn't of reported that then it would still be called a friendly derby, despite the fact that is never really has been a 'friendly' derby anyway, thinking about it. Its a derby, its never going to be friendly, but its tolerated if you understand what I mean.

[da_notorious_mack]

No fuck that. It stil lis a friendly derby. Just the way things have become now with football chants being clamped down upon, the 'media' has giving it the label that is an unfriendly derby. I for one now my local pub will be full of blues/reds tonight, all drinking buddies, all friends, and 99% it will be a fun time.

It is a friendly derby, but you have to remember that it is still football. Ok, fair enough some of the chants have gone abit over the top, Everton about Gerrard, Liverpool about Lescott, but still if the 'media' hadn't of reported that then it would still be called a friendly derby, despite the fact that is never really has been a 'friendly' derby anyway, thinking about it. Its a derby, its never going to be friendly, but its tolerated if you understand what I mean.

[Antonio]

LMAO, since when it's a stupid chant that makes a rivalry "friendly" or "not"? I mean you better not talk italian and not see a game in Italy, if chants matters so much to you.

[bez]

LMAO, since when it's a stupid chant that makes a rivalry "friendly" or "not"? I mean you better not talk italian and not see a game in Italy, if chants matters so much to you.

Chants dont matter to us. Why do I give a fuck if someone chants about Lescott, because I will just chant about football. Football stadiums have always been a place for males to go to release some anger anyway, thats the way it should be. But now thanks to all these twats who have said, you cant chant that... its horribles, or homophobic or racist or some other bullshit everything is getting far too over hyped, such as people getting arrested for chating songs about Sol Campbell. If I was Sol Campbell I wouldnt give a fuck. I have more money than the people who are chanting bad things about me and I am a football player, chanting from other supporters comes with the status.

No derby is a friendly derby. But basiclaly the media have now used the 'chants' to basically say its now and unfriendly derby. It was never friendly in the first place, more of a tolerted derby between the two of the greatest sides in English/British football. There are fans sitting tonight, together, blue shirts on/red shirts, how about the media reporting that in the morning. No way. They will focus on the chants (which have happened again) and any drunken violence that will occur after the game. How about reporting how the match was moved to a Monday Evening so televsion could broadcast it? Dumbass move if ever I saw one. Everyone finished work early, been in the pubs all day, guarenteed fighting, which I blame on the televsion companies, but that wont get reported.

Truth!

[bez]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! FUCKING DELIGHTED!

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

Good result for Everton. Didnt manage to see the game, are they still without a striker? Moyes is a miracle worker! He's got to be in with a shout for replacing Sir Al.

[da_notorious_mack]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! FUCKING DELIGHTED!

LOL u do remember gerrard scored as well as cahill


nah everton deserved a point probably had the better chances...cant believe torres missed that chance in the 1st half i had £10 on him as 1st scorer

[bez]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! FUCKING DELIGHTED!

LOL u do remember gerrard scored as well as cahill


nah everton deserved a point probably had the better chances...cant believe torres missed that chance in the 1st half i had £10 on him as 1st scorer

We did so well and Im made up because you's had settled for the 1-0, wasting time and that. Over the moon. Still cant believe Everton havent learnt to man mark Gerrard for 90 minutes. I said to my old fella before the game "all you have to do is man mark Torres and Gerrard out of the game. Torres is likely to get a run on the defense and Gerrard is likely to score a 30 yarder otherwise". Dumbasses.

Made up though, its a win for me. Im delighted.

[Digital Pimpin']

As fierce a game it can be, the Merseyside derby is nowhere near the most spiteful in the country.

[KURUPTION-81]

As fierce a game it can be, the Merseyside derby is nowhere near the most spiteful in the country.

True, like bez has said its always seen as a friendly derby you always get those random pics at goodison with a guy in a liverpool top sitting in the everton end. Most derbys are diluted now due to the lack of local players at clubs, though fans still take them very seriously.

[Mac 10 †]

all you have to do is man mark Torres and Gerrard out of the game

You make that sound so simple.

[da_notorious_mack]

all you have to do is man mark Torres and Gerrard out of the game

You make that sound so simple.

indeed...i actually prefer it when teams do that...cus its always a midfielder they assign to mark gerrard...leaving alonso more space to ping the ball about...he's been our best player this season imo...he's the only centre midfielder we've got that always try to play the ball forward(unless you play gerrard there but he wanders too much)