At first glance it looked like the most-sensational transfer in the history of the most-passionate city in English football in an era that its two clubs dominated the game but alas, Everton’s biggest signing of all-time turned out to be an April Fool’s Day trick.
On this day in 1989, Ian Rush, Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer and long-time tormentor of Everton – he’d go on to break Dixie Dean’s record (19) for the most goals in Merseyside Derbies that had stood for over half a century later that year in the FA Cup final and eventually finish on a total of 25 – was photographed wearing the royal blue jersey of his rivals from across Stanley Park. The sensational tale appeared on the front cover of Shoot, a weekly magazine aimed at young football fans that ran between 1969-2008 and was the biggest-selling publication of its kind in the UK at the time.
Under the headline: World Exclusive – Rush signs for Everton… full story inside, the prolific marksman was pictured smiling with his arms aloft in the Blues NEC-sponsored shirt complete with iconic tower crest. However, when readers thumbed through to page seven to find out more, an article with the tagline: “Rush for Everton Neverton” was accompanied by an interview from the striker himself and even a quote from his partner saying how glad she was that he’d be wearing the blue of Everton rather than the red of Liverpool due to it matching his lovely eyes!
