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Derby Day Heroes And Villains

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SO the Wembley semi-final with the our enemies from across Stanley Park is almost upon us.

Soon all the verbal sparring will be done and dusted, and those from the red and blue halves of Liverpool will once again fight it out with the victor securing yet another visit to our national stadium, and with it an opportunity to procure some silverware.

The Merseyside derby is like no other in the football calendar, usually feisty affairs even without the ingredient of another trip to Wembley for the winners, so the expectation is that this battle will be a much more intense scrap, with no quarter given and none asked for. Added to the will to win and a prospect of putting one over our neighbours we would assume that no other motivation should be needed.

With this in mind I decided to pop back down memory lane and find those that had become shining beacons of the Derby, those that had thrust themselves into immortality, forever remembered as HEROES of that greatest of clashes The Merseyside Derby, whilst also pursuing the few that have become synonymous with being the Villain of the same fixture.

We would end up with our Five Heroes and Villains of The Merseyside Derby whom had taken their place in the history of one of the most ill-disciplined and explosive of fixtures

BIGGEST VILLAINS

Perhaps the biggest villain in any of the Merseyside Derbies would not actually be a player from either side involved, but the man in black. Referee Clive Thomas would officiate over the 1977 F.A.Cup semi-final between the sides at Maine Road Manchester. Thomas will forever be seen as the villain by the blue-half of the City after disallowing what would seem a legitimate goal scored by Everton’s Bryan Hamilton, which most certainly would have seen them progress to a final and a meeting with Manchester United. Instead the game would end all square at 2-2 with Liverpool winning a replay 3-0.

Jimmy Case is up there with the very best of Liverpool players, but mention his name to Everton fans of a certain age and you will get a very different opinion. In 1980 Geoff Nulty would have his career ended by what even hardened Reds fans would admit was a horrific tackle from our Jimmy, and the Blues have never forgotten that one.

Sander Westerveld would be our next villain, getting himself sent-off after having a scuffle with Franny Jeffers during a match at Anfield in 1999, with Steven Gerrard also getting his marching orders; Liverpool would lose the Derby 1-0.

Bruce Grobbelaar would be our next villain when we would play Everton in The Charity Shield of 1984, in what would be quite a dull uninteresting affair of cat and mouse. Bruce dropped a cross at the feet of Everton marksman Graeme Sharpe; the striker would then shoot against a Liverpool defender with the ricochet coming back toward Grobbelaar who would attempt to catch the ball, only to push it into his own net. Liverpool would lose the game 1-0.

John Wark would be one of Liverpool’s most prolific scorers in his short career at Anfield with a return most strikers would be proud of. On Derby day at Goodison in 1985 Wark would however make his mark in an unwelcome way, when he would miss the target from the penalty spot allowing Everton to win the game 1-0.

HEROES

Ian Rush could have filled the whole list with many displays that would down the years make him a hero of the Derby, but the one I have chosen is from 1982 – a game that all Liverpool fans refer to as “The Ian Rush” match. Although Everton would go down to 10 men with the sending off of Glenn Keeley, a game Liverpool would win 5-0 would be remembered for a goal scoring master class from Rushie, who finished the game with 4 goals in Everton’s own back yard.

Robbie Fowler would go down in Liverpool folklore when he would celebrate scoring in the Derby by getting down on his hands and knees and pretending to sniff the white goal line. This would be Robbie’s blast back at those Everton fans who constantly accused Fowler of being a drug user. Liverpool would win the game 3-2 and Fowler would end the game with 2 goals, a club fine of £60,000 and a four match ban from the F.A. But God would forever be remembered for these heroics by Liverpool supporters.

Emlyn Hughes; affectionately known as Crazy Horse. When Hughes would score a goal most likely it would be of the spectacular sort, and in 1973 he would score two goals against Everton in a 2-0 win at Goodison in front of 54,000 supporters. The goal would be indeed spectacular but most supporters will likewise remember the celebration: Hughes running with arms flaying like a demented mad man toward the Reds fans and being pursued by Liverpool players alike, his face lit up with the hugest of smiles.

Kenny Dalglish would enjoy many successes against Everton and would constantly be targeted by an over aggressive approach from the Blue men down the years, but in 1981 he would be at his imperious best when he conducted a wonderful display of attacking interaction between himself and Ian Rush which would result in two goals for Dalglish and a 3-1 victory for the Reds at Anfield.

Gary McAllister would become one of Liverpool’s most treasured players and forever lauded after what would be the scoring of his and the clubs most important goals – added to all that, it would happen in the Derby. In a game Liverpool needed to win in their individual pursuit of Champions League football they would find themselves down to ten men with Igor Biscan having been sent-off. The game itself was heading toward a 2-2 draw when Liverpool were awarded a free-kick inside the Everton half, and with everyone including Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard expecting a cross, McAllister would drive the ball perfectly into the bottom corner and secure all three points for the Reds – and in turn secure a place in Derby folklore.

Hopefully this weekend will see more heroes from the Red side of the city, stepping up to take their place within the clubs greatest Derby day history, and in a fixture that has seen its share of red cards, hopefully Messrs’ Cahill and Neville may provide some joy in that area.

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I am a writer and sports jornalist with many passions of which Liverpool Football Club heads the list, having been a supporter since the 1974 F.A.Cup Final, I am lucky enough to have enjoyed much success through the subsequent years.
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