Roger Hunt picked himself up off the Goodison Park turf, both arms up in celebration. It was the first Merseyside derby for the best part of eight years - the first in the league for almost 12 - and the future World Cup winner scored a last-minute goal to ensure Liverpool took a point back across Stanley Park. That 2-2 draw in 1962 came in front of a crowd of 73,000. It helped promoted Liverpool settle back into the old Division 1 and begin a run of 60 consecutive top-eight finishes. The dropped point – as it then was – did not prevent Everton from becoming champions.
That renewal of a rivalry has started to assume a different kind of significance. There are older derbies, though, as they first met in 1894, not many. But there are none in England which have appeared on the fixture list every season for the last six decades. Since Bill Shankly took Liverpool up, neither they nor Everton have been promoted or relegated. Sunday will bring up 120 league derbies in 60 years. “It comes around twice a year,” said Frank Lampard. It has, anyway.
