Liverpool v Everton brings to mind so many great matches and events to the memory.
Over the years this fixture has divided families, friends and neighbours alike for 90mins, but it has also in recent times provided us with a new kind of hatred that borders on the despicable.
At Goodison Park on Saturday Everton fans were calling Liverpool fans “murders” and in turn some Liverpool fans were chanting about the Munich disaster directed at Philip Neville, some even went as far as making reference to the 96.
What on earth are we doing? Both events were tragic days in footballing history and to insult the dead is beyond comprehension.
Liverpool is a city that has a footballing rivalry that used to be called “the friendly derby” well am sorry its far from that in 2011.
We witnessed coins and bottles being thrown at Liverpool players and children being subjected to verbal abused just because they support Liverpool.
It started even before the game kicked off with Evertonian fans chanting “murders” in the streets, so the tone was set for the entire 90mins.
These are the same Everton fans that you live next door to or work alongside, but are happy to label you a murder for 90mins on a Saturday afternoon in the name of football.
What makes the hatred so intense and so personal? Does it also mean that your bother, sister or best friend is a murder because they support Liverpool? What makes fans so bitter and twisted that they are prepared to insult the dead and feel its an acceptable part of banter.
The utter disgusting chants came from a section of fans that even the most fanatical of supporters would have to look twice at, it wasn’t the youth as some might expect but from adult fans in their late 30s early 40s, the one section you would hope and believe should know better.
So what’s the problem that Everton fans have with Liverpool? Well one evident problem is jealousy, is it because we are far more successful or that we a greater support globally? Could it be that we have better sponsorship deals or could it be that we are vastly superior both financially and in squad size.
Also I didn’t witness Everton fans jealousy when they claimed to have the best young talent in the league only to sell him to Manchester Untied at the first jiggle of Ferguson’s pocket and effectively pave the way to become a feeder club to the top four.
But what is strange is that last year it was Everton fans who were chanting about our financial situation our poor position in the league and how we were going into administration, funny thing Karma.
What the Evertonians need to understand is firstly deal with your own clubs well documented fiascos and get yourself stable both financially and squad wise.
All of the above reasons could be some ingredients for the hatred but I suspect its not the complete reasons for this, I don’t have any hatred towards Everton fans simply because I don’t have any reasons to dislike them and I certainly don’t hate anyone.
It will be interesting to see if the Everton ownership ban or take action against the vile thugs who chanted obscenities or the moronic dinosaurs who threw coins and bottles at players, but given the situation at Everton today I doubt any action will be taken at all, am sure any loss in revenue will have catastrophic consequences.
I enjoy the banter with the Evertonians but a line must be drawn as to when the banter stops and hatred begins.
Liverpool have been involved in two of the most horrific footballing tragedies and should never chant about another clubs disaster, no matter who it may be or how much rivalry there is between the clubs, so to see our fans chanting about the Munich tragedy is just as disgusting as the Evertonians calling us murders.
What these incidents achieved was to overshadow the great result for Liverpool and a goal for under pressure striker Andy Carroll which was the highlight of the match.
As fans we have a degree of responsibility towards our fellow supporters and those of the opposition, chanting abusive and disgusting comments reflect on the club as a whole and you as a person, the simple answer to this behaviour is not to chant the utter ridiculousness in the first place.
We have been lucky in some ways, we have witnessed some fantastic derby matches played and supported in the manner which we enjoyed and were recognised for as a city.
Do we really want our derby game to be labelled the same as Celtic & Rangers or Barcelona and Madrid played under a Culloden of hate? I certainty don’t.
Yesterday was a great result for Liverpool but a Derby Day Disgrace for fans.