Take a look into the legendary history of the Merseyside derby as it enters a new era

The Merseyside Derby is one of the most historic and storied football fixtures in world football.

This weekend, it adds another chapter – the first meeting between Everton and Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Ahead of Sunday’s 248th meeting, here are some of the derby’s most notable firsts.

First Ever Merseyside derby

The first Merseyside derby was at Goodison Park on October 13, 1894.

Everton claimed the spoils, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory in front of around 44,000 spectators. Tom McInnes netted the first-ever goal in a Merseyside derby, with Alex Latta and Jack Bell also on the scoresheet.

First Merseyside derby at Anfield

On 17 November 1894 – exactly five weeks after the match at Goodison – Anfield hosted its first Merseyside derby. The game finished 2-2, with David Hannah and Jimmy Ross netting for Liverpool. Bob Kelso and Alex Latta scored for The Toffees.

First Merseyside derby caught on film

The earliest surviving footage of a Merseyside derby caught two of Everton’s goals in a 3-1 derby victory.

Shot at Goodison Park on 27 September 1902, the film is one of the most popular in the British Film Institute archives. The filmmakers had only about 4 minutes of film stock to work with, yet they managed to capture two of Everton’s three goals in the first 25 minutes.

Watch the video here.

First Merseyside Derby Broadcast Live On TV

Despite the wall-to-wall coverage we have today, it wasn’t until the 1980s that live football became a regular fixture on TV.

ITV aired the first-ever live Merseyside derby match on November 6, 1983. An estimated 8 million viewers tuned in to see Liverpool win a one-sided game 3-0. Goals came from Ian Rush – the derby’s all-time top scorer with 25 goals – Michael Robinson and Steve Nicol.

First Merseyside derby Hat-Trick

Alex “Sandy” Young etched his name into the record books when the Everton forward scored four goals in a 5-1 win at Goodison in 1904. The Scotsman remains fourth on Everton’s all-time goalscorers list with 126 strikes in all competitions.

Ian Rush’s treble in 1982 is the only other derby hat-trick scored at Goodison. The remaining nine derby day hat-tricks have been scored at Anfield.

First Merseyside derby in the FA Cup

Everton and Liverpool have played each other 25 times in the FA Cup. The last time the teams faced off in the world’s oldest club cup competition was in January 2020, with Curtis Jones securing a 1-0 victory for The Reds.

The first FA Cup clash between the local rivals came at Villa Park on 31 March 1906. An own goal from Liverpool’s Billy Dunlop and a Harold Hardman strike saw Everton run out 2-0 winners.

The Blues went on to win the final that year. Sandy Young netted the only goal against Newcastle United, in front of 75,000 spectators at Crystal Palace.

First Merseyside derby FA Cup Final

80 years after their initial FA Cup meeting, Everton and Liverpool met in the final at Wembley. The match, on 10 May 1986, was played seven days after Liverpool had secured the league title, with Everton finishing as runners-up.

At the time, the Merseyside powerhouses were widely regarded as the two leading English clubs. Liverpool won the day, and the double, with two goals from Ian Rush and a Craig Johnson strike overturning Everton’s 1-0 half-time lead through Gary Lineker.

Liverpool became the first team to compete in the FA Cup Final without fielding an English player since Queen’s Park’s all-Scottish teams of 1884 and 1885.

First Merseyside derby sending off

Merseyside derbies have seen more sending-offs than any other fixture in Premier League history, with 25 red cards issued since 1992.

Conversely, the initial 88 years of the Merseyside Derby saw just five red cards. Everton’s Alf Milward received the first-ever derby dismissal in 1896. It wasn’t until October 1979 that the next red cards came, when close friends and drinking partners Terry McDermott and Gary Stanley were sent off together following a mass brawl.

First Player to Score for Both Clubs in the Merseyside Derby

Twenty-two players will seek to be the derby day hero this Sunday, but few know the feeling better than David Johnson.

Not only was the Scouse striker the first player to score for Everton and Liverpool – he also got a derby day winner for both teams. The boyhood Reds fan secured a 1-0 victory for Everton at Goodison Park in November 1971.

Johnson later left The Blues for Ipswich Town, before Liverpool manager Bob Paisley made him Liverpool’s then record signing for £200,000 in 1976. He repaid that faith in April 1978, netting the winning strike in a 1-0 Liverpool victory at Goodison Park.

Peter Beardsley is the only other player to score winning derby goals for both Merseyside clubs.

With points, pride and European football on the line, the stakes are high for both sides in the first Merseyside Derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

But in this fixture, it still comes down to one thing: who owns the city come Sunday evening.

The setting may have changed. The meaning hasn’t.