BREAKING NEWS :SEAN DYCHE HAS BEEN SHOWN THE EXIT DOOR AT EVERTON(SACKED)
Everton and Liverpool lock horns in the first Merseyside derby of the season on October 21, with their respective Women’s sides facing off on October 15 to kickstart a mouthwatering double-header at Anfield.
But neither match will be the first time Reds have battled Blues this month, as a number of Liverpool and Everton legends helped set a new world record when competing in a Merseyside derby with a difference last week.
The likes of John Barnes, Sammy Lee, Steve McMahon, Peter Reid, and ECHO columnist Michael Ball were amongst the former players to take part in the first ever football match to take place inside a cathedral as part of celebrations commemorating The Pools’ 100-year anniversary.
Competing in a special 20-minute, six-a-side game, players took to a temporary pitch in The Well of the Cathedral, as supporters watched on from the High Altar, with Liverpool emerging victorious on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Reid would be heavily involved throughout as he rolled back the years to repeatedly clash with former Merseyside derby foe, McMahon, while he had a goal disallowed at the start of the second half after beating makeshift goalkeeper Barnes from kick-off, which was both above head height and taken before the referee’s whistle had blown.
Liverpool would win 2-1 on penalties, despite initially trailing after McMahon had missed following Ball’s opener. Mellor would equalise after Reid shot wide, before former Reds defender Neil Ruddock, who lined up for Everton on the day, missed his own effort.
Lee then stepped up to clinch local bragging rights as he calmly slotted past former England international and Everton and Liverpool goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.
Former Reds defender Mark Wright was then presented with the Pools World Cup, a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy, by The Very Rev. Dr Sue Jones as Liverpool celebrated victory.
Barnes is already eyeing a rematch next year as he took great delight in claiming victory over Everton.
“We’ve won it by beating Everton, as usual. On penalties this time, we normally won in 90 minutes,” he said after the game. “But this is The Pools World Cup, The Pools Cathedral World Cup.
“So we’ve won this wonderful trophy for one year. I’m sure we’ll be doing it now as a yearly event. And we’re happy to get our hands on it and win it this year.
“It was fiercely contested maybe in the head, but not in the body, unless of course you’re Steve McMahon and Peter Reid! We got it done and I’ll be sleeping with this trophy tonight.
“I was in goal so I wasn’t walking around too much. But even the lads who were walking around got a sweat on and said it was quite tiring. It was good fun.”
Meanwhile, Ruddock wasn’t too downbeat about missing a decisive penalty courtesy of his own Liverpool allegiances.
“I played for the Blues side. Years ago I scored an own goal for Everton,” he explained to the ECHO. “Playing for Liverpool and I scored an own goal for Everton. So I got my own back.
“I played for Everton at the Cathedral and we lost. I missed a penalty, I missed a penalty for Everton and Liverpool won. So I got my own back!
It’s just nice to see the lads, it’s nice to see players I haven’t seen for over 10 years. Littlewoods, David Moores was my Chairman. Off the pitch, we were very, very close friends. His family and my family were very close. So playing for him and for the Moores family.”
James Arnold, CEO of The Pools, said: “Liverpool as a city is passionate about football, so to kick off our 100th birthday celebrations, we wanted to create a memorable sporting spectacle in the city where The Football Pools’ incredible story began and this was absolutely it.
“The Football Pools was born in Liverpool and celebrated 95 years at the Cathedral so we already have close ties, and we felt there was nowhere more stunning to set a new world record
We were delighted to have it as the venue for our record attempt, especially when the Dean kindly offered to take on the task of refereeing. She definitely kept a cool head and made sure it was a fantastic fair game.”
The match was hosted by sports presenter Steve Hothersall, who also led a post-match Q&A at Gino D’Acampo Sky Bar in Liverpool city centre.
As the largest cathedral in Britain and the fifth largest in Europe, Liverpool Cathedral has hosted a diverse programme of cultural events including large-scale art installations, theatre productions and Cream Classical club nights. But never anything like this Merseyside derby with a difference.
The match is one of a series of events celebrating the centenary year of The Pools, the foundation of the family-run Littlewoods empire, which started life in Liverpool in 1923 and is still based there today.
