I’ve got a few favourite Derby memories, and a couple of specific favourite matches, both of them from the same season.
My favourite Derby matches were both in the 2000/01 season, the 3-1 win at Anfield and the 3-2 win in the ‘Gary Mac’ Derby later that season. I was lucky enough to be in the lower centenary stand to see Nick Barmby head home his first goal for his new employers against his previous club. The Everton fans singing ‘die, die Nicky, Nicky die’ and ‘who had a heart attack, Hou, Hou, Houllier’ left an impression on me that day. Until then I'd had no real experience of Evertonians in such big numbers and they surprised me, all the Everton fans I knew I got on with well and didn't expect that kind of chanting from them. But you live and learn.
At that game sitting a few rows behind us was Samuel L Jackson (he'd been filming The 51st State) and whenever I see him on TV I always think 'he knows what it's like to be in Anfield an Derby day when the Reds win'. Goals from Emile Heskey and Paddy Berger added to Barmby's early strike and gave us the win. It wasn't my first taste of Derby day but it was the first when I was old enough to appreciate what was going on and I'll never forget it.
At Easter time the same season we traveled to Goodison chasing a Champions League place (as well as a treble of trophies) and after a frenetic encounter during which Robbie Fowler missed a penalty and Igor Biscan was sent off it all came down to the last seconds of injury time. Gary Mac waited to deliver his 45 yard free into the crowded penalty area and came up with the unexpected, a precise shot into the bottom corner that took everyone by surprise and gave us the win. A Derby win to always remember.
Another highlight of recent encounters for me was something that happened off the pitch after the game. Everton had come to Anfield and played for, deserved and got a 0-0, and in his post match interview Rafa Benitez mentioned that sometimes smaller clubs come to Anfield and play for a draw. Nothing untrue about that, and anybody who saw that game knew exactly what the visitors aimed to get out of the ninety minutes. Now one of the Everton songs contains a line 'we don't care what the red side say' which, as it turns out, is one of the biggest lies in football. They went nuts, claiming Rafa called them a small club, which technically he didn't. And even if he had their recent trophy haul wasn't exactly much of an argument to prove him wrong.
And then we come to last season, a 2-0 victory at Goodison, a 3-0 win at Anfield and a 2-1 triumph at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final. They finished above us in the table but as far as I'm concerned three Derby wins in the same season certainly gave us the bragging rights.
If anybody has any special Derby memories please feel free to share them on here, just write them in the comments section. It's a great encounter, it will be a great weekend and hopefully it will be a great home win on Sunday.
Another highlight of recent encounters for me was something that happened off the pitch after the game. Everton had come to Anfield and played for, deserved and got a 0-0, and in his post match interview Rafa Benitez mentioned that sometimes smaller clubs come to Anfield and play for a draw. Nothing untrue about that, and anybody who saw that game knew exactly what the visitors aimed to get out of the ninety minutes. Now one of the Everton songs contains a line 'we don't care what the red side say' which, as it turns out, is one of the biggest lies in football. They went nuts, claiming Rafa called them a small club, which technically he didn't. And even if he had their recent trophy haul wasn't exactly much of an argument to prove him wrong.
And then we come to last season, a 2-0 victory at Goodison, a 3-0 win at Anfield and a 2-1 triumph at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final. They finished above us in the table but as far as I'm concerned three Derby wins in the same season certainly gave us the bragging rights.
If anybody has any special Derby memories please feel free to share them on here, just write them in the comments section. It's a great encounter, it will be a great weekend and hopefully it will be a great home win on Sunday.
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