Merseyside Derby
The longest running top-flight derby in England, born from a split over politics and beer.
The Merseyside derby is an association football match between Everton and Liverpool, two clubs based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is the longest running top-flight derby in England, with its first official match being played on 13 October 1894. The derby has been played continuously since the 1962–63 season. Part of the rivalry is due to the close proximity of the two clubs' home grounds, being less than a mile apart and within sight of each other across Stanley Park, when Everton played at Goodison Park; they now play their home matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Vauxhall, while Liverpool still play theirs at Anfield.
- Note
- This rivalry does not involve Real Madrid
- Relevant_Rivalry
- El Clásico (vs. FC Barcelona)
- Club_Focus
- Real Madrid CF
- Status
- Not Applicable to Club History
Lore & Background
The Merseyside derby was traditionally referred to as the 'friendly derby' because of the large number of families in the city with both Everton and Liverpool supporters, and it was one of the few that did not enforce total fan segregation. The 1984 Football League Cup final at Wembley was nicknamed the 'friendly final' due to almost all sections of the ground being mixed and supporters of both teams banding together to chant 'Merseyside'. The 1986 FA Cup final witnessed similar scenes of solidarity. Since the mid-1980s, the rivalry has intensified on and off the field, and has seen more red cards given than any other game since the creation of the Premier League. In the 2010s, the derby was dominated by Liverpool, arguably becoming the most one-sided in the English top-flight. Despite this, it has become more competitive in recent years.
In Their Own Story
The source material does not describe any specific encounters between Real Madrid and Liverpool under the floodlights of the Santiago Bernabéu. It does not mention the Merseyside Derby in any context related to Real Madrid.
Reader's Guide
Everton were founded in 1878 and from 1884 played at Anfield, owned by chairman John Houlding. Disputes over politics and money led Everton to vacate Anfield in 1892 and purchase Goodison Park. Houlding created Liverpool FC to use Anfield. The 1984–85 season began with a Merseyside derby in the FA Charity Shield, which Everton won 1–0. The 1985–86 season saw Liverpool and Everton contest the first Merseyside derby FA Cup final, with Liverpool winning 3–1. The 1986 FA Charity Shield was shared after a 1–1 draw. In the 1988–89 season, Everton were Liverpool's first opponents after the Hillsborough disaster; the league fixture ended 0–0. The two sides then met in the FA Cup final, with Liverpool winning 3–2 after extra time.
Did You Know?
- The Merseyside derby is the longest running top-flight derby in England, first played officially on 13 October 1894.
- The 1984 Football League Cup final was nicknamed the 'friendly final' because supporters of both teams mixed and chanted 'Merseyside'.
- Everton now play at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Vauxhall, while Liverpool still play at Anfield.
- The split between the clubs originated from a dispute over ownership and politics, with Everton leaving Anfield in 1892.
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