Jason McAteer on the Merseyside derby: 35,000 people calling you a w**ker is no fun

I remember lots of league games, and the 1986 FA Cup final, but the first one I really felt as a derby was the 1989 Cup final.

That was a special one. The Hillsborough disaster had happened only a few weeks before and it was a real poignant affair. I went down to London on a coach, with my dad, and it was a mixed bus of Everton and Liverpool fans. We got down really early, had a walk around London and then went out to Wembley for the game. I was actually enjoying it so much that when Stuart McCall scored in the last minute of normal time for Everton to make it 2-2 I jumped up as I was so happy to have extra-time and a bit more football. In the end Ian Rush got the winner in extra time so it was a perfect day. Everyone got lashed on the coach on the way back (I didn’t, I was still underage) and there was a massive singsong. It was a real proper day out and because of what had happened at Hillsborough the atmosphere was very special, the city was united and the Liverpool and Everton fans were very together that day and respectful. We’re now into two, or maybe three, generations on and the atmosphere has gone back to one with some bitterness and an edge. The clubs have been close together in the league in recent years and the game has meant more. In my time, they were difficult games against lads I think are best described as dogs of war. Joe Parkinson, Dave Watson, Alan Stubbs, David Unsworth (below); these were the hard, big lads who bullied teams and who ground out results. We were more of a football team but we always got pulled into a fight, especially at Goodison. I hated playing at Goodison. I was on the wing so I got huge abuse. All sorts of things were thrown at me. I was hit on the head with a toilet roll once. I had family and friends who were Everton fans but I could handle them, you could always put the phone down on them. But when you have 35,000 people calling you a wanker it’s a bit different. The games are more refined now and there is a bit more football played and I expect tomorrow’s game to be tense as it is so important to both sides. While Liverpool are in great form and looking up the table Everton have a seriously tough run of games coming up and could be looking downwards. After the derby they have Chelsea away, Leicester at home, Arsenal away and Stoke away. If they come through that with one win and a draw it will be decent but they will surely have slipped further down into the relegation battle. Everton have been found out a bit this year. Lukaku was playing for a new deal and hasn’t delivered since he got it. Samuel Eto’o turned into a bit of a Balotelli and I don’t know what Roberto was thinking on that one. They had a few tough losses, confidence was knocked and they struggled. Last week’s win against Crystal Palace was massive for them but I think they will go down 2-0 to Liverpool on Saturday. I can see Liverpool blowing them apart like they did at the derby game in Anfield last year. At least, I hope that’s what happens.