There was great excitement in our house in the week before the 112th Merseyside derby, 6 December 1969. Two tickets for the Gwladys Street stand rested on the sideboard.
Everton hadn’t dropped a point at home; Liverpool hadn’t won at Goodison since their return to the top division under Shankly and the promise of the previous season looked to be now delivering a real Championship challenge.
Goodison Road felt different on that day, or because it was my first derby, it felt special through the eyes of a 10-year-old. The smell of onions, the Golden Goal shouts, rattling of turnstiles were all there; even someone optimistically shouting, ‘Any spares?’.
The energy was heightened.
The game was fast with few chances for Everton, and I remember noticing the difference in forward play between the teams. Liverpool’s forwards: Graham and St John had more movement off the ball. My Dad’s mood deepened when Emlyn Hughes forced Liverpool ahead, in the second half, mainly because he’d spent the first half moaning about Hughes’s antics.
Then followed ‘that goal!’ The goal that has gone down in folklore.
Sandy Brown mystifyingly heading into his own goal, past a shocked Gordon West. Graham added a third and Everton’s season had taken a jolt.
Revenge was gained at Anfield and the Championship returned to Goodison. We had the 1970 World Cup to look forward to and the future looked bright for a time.