We've had the new, definitive "Goal That Never Was" this week, if you listen to Liverpool fans who have very short memories. They've been so hard done by that the pain may never go away - damn those forever fortunate, long ball humping Evertonians!
Of course, we know better. Our catalogue of refereeing errors reads like a who's who of unlucky bar stewards.
So, to catalogue the misfortune (or just to wind you all up going into a lazy Sunday!), here's a rundown of the worst decisions to go against Everton in the Merseyside derby. It'll serve as a history lesson for those new to Everton, an infuriating read for those who remember each and every one and maybe give a chuckle to the browsing neutral fan who didn't realise just how bad we've had it.
5. The Gerrard Two Footed Shocker on Gary Naysmith - Graham Poll (2002)
The most disgraceful tackle in the Merseyside derby doesn't belong to Tim Cahill wrestling over his man - as some Kopites would lead you to believe - or even Suarez executing a move directly from the WWE on Heitinga. Nope, it belongs quite clearly to one Steven Gerrard, who in the drab 2002 goalless draw decided to go through Gary Naysmith with a horrific, straight-legged, two footed potential leg breaker which had everyone wincing.
Except Graham Poll, who waved it on and didn't even deem it a foul.
Amusingly, Steven Gerrard later "apologised" after the game, but said it was "lucky he pulled out of the tackle".
If that's what you call "pulling out of a tackle"... :S
Only three minutes remained on the clock when that horror "tackle" went in, but the blatant nature of it left many Evertonians bewildered as to how it was missed - much more than a simple dodgy offside decision.
4. The Suarez Dive/Rodwell Sending Off - Martin Atkinson (2011)
Everton went into last seasons first derby with enthusiasm - we felt we had the stronger side and overall form, and were facing a side on the ropes in terms of overall squad depth and consistency.
Unfortunately, after a bright start from Everton, referee Martin Atkinson killed the game dead with a stunningly bad call.
The sending off decision would have been bad in any normal circumstance, but what makes this worse was the occasion in which it happened, the blatant simulation from Luis Suarez (hardly surprising, I'd expect nothing less) and the fact the referee had a crystal clear view and was five yards away.
Liverpool went on to win at a canter as the extra man took it's toll, and the red card was rightfully rescinded by the FA in quick order. It is known as the "derby that never was" amongst a lot of fans from both sides of the divide - a game thoroughly ruined by a referee too easily conned by a certain Uruguayan.
3. The Goal That Never Was #2 - Graham Poll (2000)
It's amazing how short the memories of Liverpool fans seems to be. You'd swear that the disallowed goal from the recent derby was the first time any such "mistake" has occurred. Of course, it's happened to Everton twice...
The latest one was in the year 2000. An Everton win would have secured a fairly rare derby double for the Blues, but it was ebbing out to a 0-0 draw.
Liverpool win a free kick in their own box. Goalkeeper Sander Westerveld grabs the ball quickly and, for reasons best known to himself, decides to thrash the ball directly at the back of the retreating Everton midfielder, Don Hutchison.
The ball rebounds off his back, loops over Westerveld, and trickles over the line.
The Everton fans go wild - but Graham Poll blows up for full time. A full 30 seconds before he was scheduled to, and without an explanation to the bewildered Everton players and fans.
To be fair to Poll, he has since admitted that he simply bottled it. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/ever...e-to-forgive-poll-for-howler-100252-19267964/ . Nothing more, nothing less. Everton were prevented a perfectly valid derby double, and Graham Poll would continue his absolute ineptitude as a referee by giving out three yellow cards in a World Cup and not sending Steven Gerrard off for Grievous Bodily Harm on Gary Naysmith two years later.
2. The Goal That Never Was #1 - Clive Thomas (1977)
The funniest thing about the Suarez disallowed goal is how outraged and bitter they are - after a full 35 years of stick we have had off them for the Clive Thomas affair.
Ahhh Clive Thomas... The event is so well known that Evertonians not even born at the time are aware of the events.
For the neutrals reading this, here's the background. It's an FA Cup Semi Final and a Merseyside derby. Everton are not the all-conquering 1980s outfit of Kendall, but the plucky underdogs of Gordon Lee. Liverpool were the stronger side and favourites to win, and they took the lead twice. Everton responded twice, pulling it to 2-2.
As the final whistle approaches, Ronnie Goodlass sends in a speculative cross, it's flicked on and substitute Bryan Hamilton - in comfortably the biggest professional moment of his career - gets on the end and puts it home to give Everton the 3-2 win.
However, not in the eyes of Clive Thomas. The Welsh ref disallowed it.
To this day, nobody knows why. The Liverpool fans don't know why. Thomas has never explained why. Everton were denied a place in the FA Cup Final - and to this day we have absolutely no idea why. Liverpool went on to win the replay 3-0.
The similarities between this event and the Suarez affair are obvious - except it cost us a place in a prestigious final, whilst the Kopites lost two points.
But for the next 35 years we'll be hearing all about the Suarez disallowed goal from the "bitters"
1. The Clattenburg Derby (2007)
Mark Clattenburg. The name alone provokes outrage from disgusted Evertonians who will forever remember the Merseyside derby from 2007 that has since became known simply as the "Clattenburg Derby".
It wasn't just one shocking decision - it was pretty much everything. You will never see a worse refereeing performance in professional football ever again. I'm listing the three "major" decisions below, but the pattern was repeated with 50/50 decisions all game:
Incident 1 - Tony Hibbert brings down Gerrard. The penalty was soft but it was a penalty. Clattenburg pulls out his yellow card, Gerrard gets up, walks up to Clattenburg, has a word in his ear, Clattenburg puts the yellow card away and brings out the red, sending Hibbert off. To this day, he hasn't explained why he did this.
Incident 2 - Dirk Kuyt all but drop kicks Phil Neville. I'm not exaggerating - it was a stomach high, two footed lunge that everyone in the ground could see from every angle you care to mention. Clattenburg DID see it - but, for reasons only known to himself, he only produces a yellow card. To this day, he hasn't explained why that tackle wasn't a red. Kuyt's post-game comments where hysterical - "maybe I was a bit lucky!"
Incident 3 - With the game running down and Liverpool leading 2-1, Jamie Carragher grabs hold of Joleon Lescott and wrestles him to the ground in the box. Again, I'm not exaggerating. Again, everyone in the ground sees it. Clattenburg, just five yards away from the incident, waves play on. He also waved on another penalty claim against Jamie Carragher in the game.
Liverpool win the game 2-1 thanks to two pens (ironically taken by Kuyt, who should have been off the pitch long before he took the second) and two Everton players being sent off (Hibbert & Neville).
All of the above isn't solely the opinion of "bitter" Evertonians. The FA dropped Clattenburg from refereeing duties for a period of time due to poor officiating in this game, and suspicion regarding the motives of Clattenburg's performance has meant that he has not refereed an Everton game at Goodison Park ever since. He refereed an Everton game for the first time in five years last season - an uneventful away game where he was on his best behaviour.
It's worth noting that less than a year after this game, Clattenburg was suspended from the game due to business debts and problems in his personal life...
I hope you "enjoyed" the read, for want of a better word! What order would you place them?
Of course, we know better. Our catalogue of refereeing errors reads like a who's who of unlucky bar stewards.
So, to catalogue the misfortune (or just to wind you all up going into a lazy Sunday!), here's a rundown of the worst decisions to go against Everton in the Merseyside derby. It'll serve as a history lesson for those new to Everton, an infuriating read for those who remember each and every one and maybe give a chuckle to the browsing neutral fan who didn't realise just how bad we've had it.
5. The Gerrard Two Footed Shocker on Gary Naysmith - Graham Poll (2002)
The most disgraceful tackle in the Merseyside derby doesn't belong to Tim Cahill wrestling over his man - as some Kopites would lead you to believe - or even Suarez executing a move directly from the WWE on Heitinga. Nope, it belongs quite clearly to one Steven Gerrard, who in the drab 2002 goalless draw decided to go through Gary Naysmith with a horrific, straight-legged, two footed potential leg breaker which had everyone wincing.
Except Graham Poll, who waved it on and didn't even deem it a foul.
Amusingly, Steven Gerrard later "apologised" after the game, but said it was "lucky he pulled out of the tackle".
If that's what you call "pulling out of a tackle"... :S
Only three minutes remained on the clock when that horror "tackle" went in, but the blatant nature of it left many Evertonians bewildered as to how it was missed - much more than a simple dodgy offside decision.
4. The Suarez Dive/Rodwell Sending Off - Martin Atkinson (2011)
Everton went into last seasons first derby with enthusiasm - we felt we had the stronger side and overall form, and were facing a side on the ropes in terms of overall squad depth and consistency.
Unfortunately, after a bright start from Everton, referee Martin Atkinson killed the game dead with a stunningly bad call.
The sending off decision would have been bad in any normal circumstance, but what makes this worse was the occasion in which it happened, the blatant simulation from Luis Suarez (hardly surprising, I'd expect nothing less) and the fact the referee had a crystal clear view and was five yards away.
Liverpool went on to win at a canter as the extra man took it's toll, and the red card was rightfully rescinded by the FA in quick order. It is known as the "derby that never was" amongst a lot of fans from both sides of the divide - a game thoroughly ruined by a referee too easily conned by a certain Uruguayan.
3. The Goal That Never Was #2 - Graham Poll (2000)
It's amazing how short the memories of Liverpool fans seems to be. You'd swear that the disallowed goal from the recent derby was the first time any such "mistake" has occurred. Of course, it's happened to Everton twice...
The latest one was in the year 2000. An Everton win would have secured a fairly rare derby double for the Blues, but it was ebbing out to a 0-0 draw.
Liverpool win a free kick in their own box. Goalkeeper Sander Westerveld grabs the ball quickly and, for reasons best known to himself, decides to thrash the ball directly at the back of the retreating Everton midfielder, Don Hutchison.
The ball rebounds off his back, loops over Westerveld, and trickles over the line.
The Everton fans go wild - but Graham Poll blows up for full time. A full 30 seconds before he was scheduled to, and without an explanation to the bewildered Everton players and fans.
To be fair to Poll, he has since admitted that he simply bottled it. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/ever...e-to-forgive-poll-for-howler-100252-19267964/ . Nothing more, nothing less. Everton were prevented a perfectly valid derby double, and Graham Poll would continue his absolute ineptitude as a referee by giving out three yellow cards in a World Cup and not sending Steven Gerrard off for Grievous Bodily Harm on Gary Naysmith two years later.
2. The Goal That Never Was #1 - Clive Thomas (1977)
The funniest thing about the Suarez disallowed goal is how outraged and bitter they are - after a full 35 years of stick we have had off them for the Clive Thomas affair.
Ahhh Clive Thomas... The event is so well known that Evertonians not even born at the time are aware of the events.
For the neutrals reading this, here's the background. It's an FA Cup Semi Final and a Merseyside derby. Everton are not the all-conquering 1980s outfit of Kendall, but the plucky underdogs of Gordon Lee. Liverpool were the stronger side and favourites to win, and they took the lead twice. Everton responded twice, pulling it to 2-2.
As the final whistle approaches, Ronnie Goodlass sends in a speculative cross, it's flicked on and substitute Bryan Hamilton - in comfortably the biggest professional moment of his career - gets on the end and puts it home to give Everton the 3-2 win.
However, not in the eyes of Clive Thomas. The Welsh ref disallowed it.
To this day, nobody knows why. The Liverpool fans don't know why. Thomas has never explained why. Everton were denied a place in the FA Cup Final - and to this day we have absolutely no idea why. Liverpool went on to win the replay 3-0.
The similarities between this event and the Suarez affair are obvious - except it cost us a place in a prestigious final, whilst the Kopites lost two points.
But for the next 35 years we'll be hearing all about the Suarez disallowed goal from the "bitters"
1. The Clattenburg Derby (2007)
Mark Clattenburg. The name alone provokes outrage from disgusted Evertonians who will forever remember the Merseyside derby from 2007 that has since became known simply as the "Clattenburg Derby".
It wasn't just one shocking decision - it was pretty much everything. You will never see a worse refereeing performance in professional football ever again. I'm listing the three "major" decisions below, but the pattern was repeated with 50/50 decisions all game:
Incident 1 - Tony Hibbert brings down Gerrard. The penalty was soft but it was a penalty. Clattenburg pulls out his yellow card, Gerrard gets up, walks up to Clattenburg, has a word in his ear, Clattenburg puts the yellow card away and brings out the red, sending Hibbert off. To this day, he hasn't explained why he did this.
Incident 2 - Dirk Kuyt all but drop kicks Phil Neville. I'm not exaggerating - it was a stomach high, two footed lunge that everyone in the ground could see from every angle you care to mention. Clattenburg DID see it - but, for reasons only known to himself, he only produces a yellow card. To this day, he hasn't explained why that tackle wasn't a red. Kuyt's post-game comments where hysterical - "maybe I was a bit lucky!"
Incident 3 - With the game running down and Liverpool leading 2-1, Jamie Carragher grabs hold of Joleon Lescott and wrestles him to the ground in the box. Again, I'm not exaggerating. Again, everyone in the ground sees it. Clattenburg, just five yards away from the incident, waves play on. He also waved on another penalty claim against Jamie Carragher in the game.
Liverpool win the game 2-1 thanks to two pens (ironically taken by Kuyt, who should have been off the pitch long before he took the second) and two Everton players being sent off (Hibbert & Neville).
All of the above isn't solely the opinion of "bitter" Evertonians. The FA dropped Clattenburg from refereeing duties for a period of time due to poor officiating in this game, and suspicion regarding the motives of Clattenburg's performance has meant that he has not refereed an Everton game at Goodison Park ever since. He refereed an Everton game for the first time in five years last season - an uneventful away game where he was on his best behaviour.
It's worth noting that less than a year after this game, Clattenburg was suspended from the game due to business debts and problems in his personal life...
I hope you "enjoyed" the read, for want of a better word! What order would you place them?
