Across The Park

Stanley Park in Liverpool 4 is a 110 acres park designed by Edward Kemp and was opened on the 14th of May 1870 by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joseph Hubback. It was my back garden as I grew up in Tetlow Street, opposite the main gates, as a youngster, 'minding cars' at a time when all games kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday., It is known for dividing the home grounds of the Merseyside football clubs Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C. and was actually the original home to a fledgling Everton Football Club in 1879 who played on an open pitch in the south-east corner of the newly laid out park before the club moved to nearby Priory Road, and then to Anfield Road.

Everton had been forced to move from Priory Road to Anfield in 1884, evicted because of the size of the crowds they were attracting to an arena, which is now the site of a petrol station, meant the club's future was threatened because of the cost of building a new stadium. Two of the management committee at the club pleaded with John Houlding, a wealthy businessman and sports lover, to buy the club. Houlding obliged but offered no guarantees plus a maximum of £100 rent in return. There were two factions on the board - zealous moral puritans, and men who had made their money from drink. Houlding was a brewer who owned the the enormously successful Sandon Hotel close to the ground and George Mahon was a member of the Liberal Party, the party of moral purity. These differences all came to a head at a meeting in the lecture hall of the College Hall, Shaw Street where financial commitments were discussed resulting in George Mahon to move that the committee instruct a solicitor on behalf of the club, to serve notice on Houlding to quit the present ground. However Houlding responded by serving notice on Everton to quit Anfield as the land owner John Orrell had served notice on him to remove an enclosure and stand that had been constructed on land where he now wanted to build an access road. The two sides apparently reached an amicable agreement but then Houlding tried to purchase and gain full control of the football club by registering the company, 'Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd' attempting to retain the name of 'Everton'. George Mahon however had already investigated a new site across the park, which could be developed at a cost of £50 per annum. The FA refused Holding's proposal and so the breakaway group heading for Goodison Road would take the Everton name with them and Houlding's group would need to consider a new name. On the 3rd of June 1892 the name 'Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Company, Limited' was approved by Companies House.

William Edward Barclay was the first man to become manager of both clubs working with club secretary John McKenna, although the meaning of 'football manager' has since evolved. He had been initially employed as the governor of an industrial school in Everton, a position he held until 1898, where his work saw him providing education, board and lodgings to poor and neglected children of the borough. He socialised in the same circle as other influential men, like John Houlding and both became good friends. His time at Everton was short, managing them for their first 22 games before the majority left Anfield in order to move to the purpose built Goodison Park. It was Barclay, one of the people who stayed to form the new club, who came up with the idea to call Houlding's new venture 'Liverpool'. He became the first secretary/manager of the club during the inaugural 1888-89 season when they had become Liverpool AFC. However, in his last season as Liverpool manager, he led the side to the Second Division championship in 1895–96.

Barclay remained the only person to have managed both clubs, Liverpool and Everton, until the appointment of Rafael Benitez as Everton manager in 2021.

Evertonian author and historian Gavin Buckland believes some initially sceptical Evertonians were won over by the impression Benítez made at his unveiling. Too few of Everton's managers since David Moyes have understood the club; he feels the Wirral resident Benítez's links will help him. "He knows the city, he knows the supporters, he knows the atmosphere." He added, "He knows the mood music around football in the city and I think that will help him forge connections with the Everton fanbase. It is not as though he left Liverpool in 2010 and went to live in Spain. His daughters are both basically scousers."

Scottish midfielder Patrick Gordon was the first player to 'cross the park' when he was signed by Liverpool from Everton in 1893. He played during the club's first season in the Football League in the 1893-94, appearing in 21 of the team's 28 games scoring six goals and played in the first five matches of the following season before being transferred to Blackburn Rovers.

Others to have moved directly from one team to the other are :- 

Everton to Liverpool.

Abel Xavier in 2002, the only player to play in derby matches for both teams in the same season.

Nick Barmby in 2000, and at £6 million the highest fee Liverpool have paid Everton.

Dave Hickson in 1959. Dave is also one of six players to have also played for Tranmere Rovers.

Tony McNamara in 1957.

John Heydon in 1949.

Bill Harthill in 1936.

Jack Balmer in 1935.

Thomas Johnson in 1934.

Frank Mitchell in 1919.

Bill Lacey in 1912.

Tom Gracie in 1912.

Arthur Berry in 1912 for his second spell with Liverpool.

Don Sloan in 1908.

David Murray in 1904.remained

Abe Hartley in 1897.

Alex Latta in 1896.

Fred Geary in 1895.

John Whitehead in 1894.

Andrew Hannah in 1892 became Liverpool's first captain and was right back in their first game. He also has the distinction of being the first player to have captained both clubs.

Duncan McLean and Thomas G, Wylie remained at Anfield when Everton left for Goodison Park.

Gary Ablett

 

Liverpool to Everton.

Gary Ablett in 1992 is the only player to win the FA Cup with both clubs.

Peter Beardsley in 1991 is Everton's most expensive signing from Liverpool.

Alan Harper in 1983 never actually made a first team appearance for Liverpool.

Kevin Sheedy in 1982.

David Johnson in 1982. He was signed from Everton by Ipswich before moving to Liverpool in 1976 and then returned from Liverpool back to Everton.

Johnny Morrissey in 1962.

Jimmy Payne in 1956.

Dick Forshaw in 1927 is the only player to win the League Championship with both clubs.

Benjamin Howard Baker in 1921. A Goalkeeper who also represented Great Britain at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games in the High jump.

Harold Uren in 1912.

Other players have played for both clubs but not directly moving straight across the park.

Although there is an intense football rivalry between the two clubs, the bonds between Everton and Liverpool were much in evidence in the immediate aftermath of Hillsborough, and there was no symbol of their unity more powerful than 'The Mile of Scarves' on the 26th anniversary of the tragedy. The first scarf was tied to the gates of Goodison Park by Everton star Ian Snodin and from there the chain continued out of Bullens Road, over Walton Road, across Stanley Park and through the Bill Shankly Memorial Gates at Anfield to the Kop. On Saturday the 22nd of April a moving ceremony led by Archbishop Worlock and Bishop Sheppard was held at Anfield for the tying of the final scarf to the Kop.

The 1984 Milk Cup Final saw fans wearing red and blue travelling down together, they shared the stadium together without having to be segregated, and returned home together. As with the 1989 Final and the two Charity Shields that followed, it showed a city united in adversity. The two teams did a combined lap of honour in front of the fans and Wembley boomed to the chant of  'Merseyside, Merseyside, Mersey-side', as they did so. As the Everton manager at the time, Colin Harvey added: "We are not a divided city. There are Evertonians and Liverpudlians in the same family."