BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
By John Christie
October 16 2007
The "Friendly Derby" it was called and not that long ago. It was different, unique in world football. Our Merseyside derby represented the respect and good humour we both shared for our old foes across the park. No matter what the establishment dealt out to our city we had our teams which we held in so much pride.
October 16 2007
The "Friendly Derby" it was called and not that long ago. It was different, unique in world football. Our Merseyside derby represented the respect and good humour we both shared for our old foes across the park. No matter what the establishment dealt out to our city we had our teams which we held in so much pride.
No matter what the establishment dealt out to our city we had our teams which we held in so much pride. "You can take our jobs but you cant take our trophies", we declared in the 70 and 80s. In our darkest hours of Heysel and Hillsborough Evertonians rallied round to our support. It’s a fallacy that Evertonians turned bitter over their exemption from Europe after Heysel, the "bitterness" they show now, emerged many years later.
Now I cannot attend Goodison on Saturday, it used to be one of my highlights of the season.
I have sat in every nook and cranny of that old ground. Never in the Liverpool end I enjoyed sitting with the blues, the banter was always sharp, even acidic, but never threatening. People were usually made up to have a kopite next to them, it made the occasion even more nail biting. I don’t think I’m unusual in my upbringing.
I had Evertonian uncles who would tease me with a smile, putting 1/2 a crown in my hand "Don’t you go spending that on dem red fellers now". I have had best mates at school, good friends at work who were Everton fanatics; I never thought the day would come when I could not go among them for fear of violence. How as this happened?
The Heysel ban did cheat them of a very realistic chance of winning the European Cup. I agree totally with them, we should have been banned from Europe for our part, but it was Thatcher who pulled all English teams the day after the tragedy. The FA as well stood back and said nothing when they should of been defending English football. The bitterness didn’t come for many years probably because the blues still had a top team through the 80s. As their star dropped, and they began to struggle, Everton missed the Premiership train and we were their excuse .
Another reason for the bitterness i believe was the last game of the season in the early 90s, they were 2--0 down at home to Wimbledon, relegation loomed until a fight back pulled them from the abyss. It didn’t go unnoticed the Liverpool fans celebrations at half time at Villa .The generation now of younger blues are full of bile, alls were fit for is killing Italians etc etc . We can’t turn back the clock what happened at Heysel was a disaster waiting to happen. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But...... I believe there is a glimmer of hope with the great moving tribute at Anfield to young Rhys Jones, ZCARS, followed by a thunderous emotional rendition of YNWA, with the boy’s family proudly bedecked in their blue colours on the pitch, didn’t leave a dry eye in the house.
This is how it should be and can be again if the older blues educate the young bitters on what its all about. Next time I’m called a "murderer " I just think of my old uncle Tommy with his big grin and 1/2 crown for me sweets. He was a real Everton, there still plenty out there like him.
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StumbleuponBITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Mighty Reds (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 15:33
BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: KopMike_1 (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 15:58
I agree with all of the above and can remember the days when when you could sit in the Gladwys Street with your scarf on, no problem.
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Waspy (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 16:10
Nice read, just a shame that this unique Derby has changed over the years. Have not been privilidged to have experience it at woodison, but wish I had.
Some good points put across, I too agree that not all English clubs were banned from Europe it was a waste of time
& really hurt our relationship with those across the park.
Maybe something really good will prevail from Rhys tradgey bless him, that it may build some bridges between Reds & Blues.
Sounds like ya Uncle Tommy was a right character, ya can't beat the old school. They knew best & they were usually right...
Some good points put across, I too agree that not all English clubs were banned from Europe it was a waste of time
& really hurt our relationship with those across the park.
Maybe something really good will prevail from Rhys tradgey bless him, that it may build some bridges between Reds & Blues.
Sounds like ya Uncle Tommy was a right character, ya can't beat the old school. They knew best & they were usually right...
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Reds (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 16:16
Great article carra mate.
When me Dad was a lad, and certainly in me Grandads time, most men used to go to Goodison one week and Anfield the next, depending who was at home. They were still Reds or Blues but enjoyed their footie on a Saturday afternoon.
Around the Tiber strange noises were heard,
The ominous sound of the red Liver bird,
Those on the ground stood still and listened,
As under its wing 5 trophies glistened,
Said the bird, a friend of mine twice conquered Rome,
And ever since then its been my second home,
The first time he came, he arrived by tank,
Do you think i'd surrender it to some fuuuckin manc?,
Looks like the devils have been left in the lurch,
And guess what Mr Ferguson? I'm STILL on my perch!
When me Dad was a lad, and certainly in me Grandads time, most men used to go to Goodison one week and Anfield the next, depending who was at home. They were still Reds or Blues but enjoyed their footie on a Saturday afternoon.
Around the Tiber strange noises were heard,
The ominous sound of the red Liver bird,
Those on the ground stood still and listened,
As under its wing 5 trophies glistened,
Said the bird, a friend of mine twice conquered Rome,
And ever since then its been my second home,
The first time he came, he arrived by tank,
Do you think i'd surrender it to some fuuuckin manc?,
Looks like the devils have been left in the lurch,
And guess what Mr Ferguson? I'm STILL on my perch!
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Waspy (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 16:17
Thats how it still should be KopMike, been on the Kop in the past with blues decked out in colours. It feels right & I have no complaints sharing my space in the company of a Blue
cheering our teams on.
Lets hope it all returns ta how it used ta be.
cheering our teams on.
Lets hope it all returns ta how it used ta be.
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Stan Ogden (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 16:36
Excellent and interesting read, so sad that its gone @#$%& up these last few years, i've been working in a few provincial towns around swansea this last few weeks, most are split 50/50 between cardiff and swansea fans, for myself i couldn't imagine sharing a pub or club with the Sc-um, just to see them walking around(shock horror they even walk upright
) makes the blood boil but we don't share the same city with them and are 35 miles from them so its hard to understand really. I'm not a violent fella by nature and would consider myself mature(i'm slightly over 40
) in every other aspect of life but its in my blood to hate those feckers with a passion( i have a few very good jack mates, unbelievable really) , wonder what i'll be like in 20 years, maybe i'll let it go over my head by then or maybe i'll be like these two
) makes the blood boil but we don't share the same city with them and are 35 miles from them so its hard to understand really. I'm not a violent fella by nature and would consider myself mature(i'm slightly over 40) in every other aspect of life but its in my blood to hate those feckers with a passion( i have a few very good jack mates, unbelievable really) , wonder what i'll be like in 20 years, maybe i'll let it go over my head by then or maybe i'll be like these two
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Crash Cosmic (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 18:59
I used to always stand go the Glawdys street end with my cous, the banter was great, i couldnt get enough of the sarcasm and dry wit, especially as Rushie was bangin them in..fair play they took it on the chin and likewise (but not so often)..half my family are blue and they cheered us on when we played Milan to win the fifth...my older cousin is a proper blue followed them to rotterdam, he has a homemade EFC tattoo you know the likes...even he jumped in the air when we clinched the pens...True Blue but even so A PROPER SCOUSER...Good luck to the blues, (after saturday of course)...
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Captain Scarlet (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 20:20
Good read Carra.
Do you not feel a lot changed when matches went all ticket and segregation came in?
Years gone by you could pay on the gate at any entrance, but now tickets are bought in advance.
Do you not feel a lot changed when matches went all ticket and segregation came in?
Years gone by you could pay on the gate at any entrance, but now tickets are bought in advance.
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: carra (IP Logged)
Date: 16/10/2007 23:08
Dead right Capt segregation means alienation.As Waspy said it felt right having Evertonians next to u on the KOP.Now u here pundits compairing different derbies by how evil the fans are . Were now just another derby match people should remember what made ours so special.
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Waspy (IP Logged)
Date: 17/10/2007 17:20
Thats a good point Cap'n bout paying on gate, Don't know bout you carra it's not changed the Derby in anyway. But it's certainly put a bit of divide up with our supporters anyway.
Read the forums bout this & you'll feel the partisan atmosphere. I know there was not the tinternet back in them days, so you couldn't get the whole picture.
There wasn't the organization back then ta get in games. turn up early enough you'll get in. It's seats that have changed this which have lowered capacitys in each certain stands
It's all about health & saftey. But hope the Derby gets played without any probs,& we win of coarse...
Read the forums bout this & you'll feel the partisan atmosphere. I know there was not the tinternet back in them days, so you couldn't get the whole picture.
There wasn't the organization back then ta get in games. turn up early enough you'll get in. It's seats that have changed this which have lowered capacitys in each certain stands
It's all about health & saftey. But hope the Derby gets played without any probs,& we win of coarse...
Re: BITTER BLUES? NOT ALWAYS
Posted by: Chris Sonne (IP Logged)
Date: 27/11/2007 23:23
My Dad and uncles are all Evertonians and they used to go to both Goodison and Anfield in the 50s and 60s. Me and my cousins are all reds, much to their very put on dismay. We moved down south in the 70s so I only ever got to see Liverpool at Wembley,which was quite frequent in the 80s (Wembley being our second home ground). My Dad and ardent Evertonian still took me and my brother to the matches and cheered us reds on when we weren't facing Everton. True decent Liverpudlians, red and blue, appreciate good football. The idiots on both sides will never stop that.
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