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There's no doubt in my mind that Liverpool's biggest game of the season is the Merseyside derby -- also known in the past as LIVERTON or EVERPOOL! It's a match that doesn't just divide opinion, it divides families. Even in the modern era, it's a clash that doesn't need hype -- it never did. No other derby in the country can rival it.

"If you know yer history," to quote Evertonians, you'll be aware that Liverpool were formed as a rival to the men in blue. Everton used to play at Anfield and their current Goodison Park ground is just across Stanley Park. It's never mattered how the two sides have been performing. Derby day throws everything out of the window. All of which means it's a real derby.

There have been countless memorable matches between the two sides. Liverpudlians know what games they love to recall, Evertonians likewise. Ask any Red who was there the day Ian Rush scored four (in a 5-0 win in November 1982) and I've no doubt they'd be able to recollect everything about a game that became immortalized in the chorus of a song. Cup finals, semifinals, you name it, the Merseyside derby has had it all and more besides.

There are two games that stand out in my own mind and are part of the folklore. One just about every Red will be able to recall, the other maybe only those who are now a bit older and greyer will remember. Both games threw up heroes and one gave fame to an unlikely source.

Read more from John Pearman on LiverpoolFC.com >>

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