Derby goes ahead at 5:30pm kick-off

Michael Kenrick , 12 January, 26comments | Jump to most recent

The Premier League has confirmed the kick-off time for next month's derby game at Goodison Park will remain at 5:30pm despite police concerns that an evening kick-off on 7 February increased the risk of alcohol-fuelled disorder both before, during, and after the game.

The Saturday evening kick-off time was set by the Premier League after Sky Sports selected the match for a live broadcast. But police wanted it moved back to 12:45pm and asked Liverpool City Council to make an earlier kick-off one of the conditions for issuing a ground safety certificate for the match.

Police claimed the late kick-off increased the risk of alcohol-fuelled disorder because of the “excessive time” allowed for alcohol consumption by fans attending the fixture and by those seeking to view it on TV either locally to the ground or in the city centre.

They also said it would be easier for those wishing to engage in criminal activity because they would have the “protection of darkness.” Fans, however, have broadly welcomed the later kick-off time.

Quotes sourced from Liverpool Echo

Reader Comments (26)

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James Martin
1 Posted 12/01/2015 at 16:26:30

Notice there was never a word said about all those Anfield night games. They musn't have disorderly fans.....

Oh for a classic Goodison night to finally do them good and proper.

Anthony Hanlon
2 Posted 12/01/2015 at 16:39:20

Sky and the Premier League are more powerful than police these days.

Steve Carse
3 Posted 12/01/2015 at 16:45:51

This should never have been an issue. What a comment from our leaders and law enforcers on the behaviour of its own city's residents.

Jim Bennings
4 Posted 12/01/2015 at 16:50:53

Yesss!!!

Finally a Goodison derby under the floodlights for the first time since the Dan Gosling Tic-Tac derby..

What an atmosphere it was that night too.

Peter Laing
5 Posted 12/01/2015 at 17:11:17

The only criminal activity that I have associated with the Derby has been the likes of Thomas, Hansen, Gerrard, Carragher, Clatenburg, Suarez and Atkinson who have conspired to cheat Everton at every opportunity.

Kevin Tully
6 Posted 12/01/2015 at 17:25:21

24 hr challenge on for this one. Our kid’s stag do kicks off at 5:30 Friday night, and there are plenty up for going through the card. Not much chance of me making it through to kick-off. Maybe 20 years ago I would have had a chance, I’ll be lucky to make it past midnight!

Jon Cox
7 Posted 12/01/2015 at 17:30:36

Oh I see, so there's no alcohol or crime in London then?

What a bunch of shirt buttons!

Clive Mitchell
8 Posted 12/01/2015 at 17:30:47

Surprised there hasn't been more of a public protest about the police's assertion that the Derby was too dangerous to kick of at tea time. Outrageous attitude for a local public body to adopt.

Paul Andrews
9 Posted 12/01/2015 at 18:06:49

If we get beat in the derby after our bad run Â– although we seem to be improving Â– our fans will be apoplectic.

Mark Bryan
10 Posted 12/01/2015 at 19:23:20

Remember the last late kick off league one at Goodison? 8pm on Good Friday, if I recall. It was a late Easter, and good weather. The Stella was stronger in those days, proper wife beater, as opposed to the wife shouter you can get now.

McAllister scored after some terrible refereeing. They won for the first time at Goodison in a decade. Loads of men in suits fist fighting in the directors box.
Match report link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-38903/Football-Everton-despair-McAllister-pinches-it.html

Brian Hennessy
11 Posted 12/01/2015 at 19:36:18

Peter @5 Very funny gave me a good laugh that one.

Agree with the comments here that it was disgraceful that the cops tried to change this kick off time given the behaviour record of our fans.

Nick Entwistle
12 Posted 12/01/2015 at 19:53:10

Mark, add McAllister to the list of cheats, he threw the ball forward ten yards for that free kick when the ref was dealing with someone else.

Michael Kenrick
13 Posted 12/01/2015 at 19:54:59

Wow, quite the memory jogger, there, Mark (#10).

Of course, I prefer our own unique array of matchday memories, painful though they were from that day...

Sean McCarthy
15 Posted 12/01/2015 at 21:33:05

Mark I think the game to which you refer was an earlier kick off than 8pm. I think the don Hutchinson/Graeme Poll was around Easter and an evening ko.

If we're looking for lucky omens, I was back in the auld country for the "tic tac" Derby and I'll be back there again on February 7th so hopefully it'll be the same outcome. Although I'd like to see the goal this time!!!!

Minik Hansen
16 Posted 12/01/2015 at 21:56:12

That is great news! It's an opportunity as Evertonians to show locally and internationally, that Everton is the People's club! More focus on this in papers will be great for our club. Bring on Liverpool. COYB!

Peter Bell
17 Posted 12/01/2015 at 22:03:36

To quote a Joe Royle phrase,
If ever we needed the "bear pit" atmosphere
Its this game

Mark Bryan
18 Posted 12/01/2015 at 23:17:34

Sean McCarthy 15
My memory tells me that they were both evening kick offs.
My memory could of course be lying to me.

Craig Mills
19 Posted 12/01/2015 at 23:53:33

Mark@10, I remember it well, Couldn't believe he got away with that ~ typical RS twat.....

Dave Abrahams
20 Posted 13/01/2015 at 00:03:11

I remember the match well, robbed and cheated again, and to compound the agony watching a little dwarf running from the Liverpool dug out, jumping all over the Liverpool players and celebrating with them, that little ugly bastard Sammy Lee.What a night to the many we have endured with that lot, hopefully not this year.

Rob Young
21 Posted 13/01/2015 at 08:17:11

Joe Royle's first game in charge was an evening game right?
Might have been midweek but I remember that one well, it was my first derby and what an atmosphere!

And can someone shed some light on this one please, I remember David Unsworth and Fowler being send off together at Goodison (in the late 90's). Fowler wouldn't let it go as they walked of the pitch and I seem to remember the police had to separate them on the pitch or near the touchline?

Did that actually happen, did the police intervene?

Karl Masters
22 Posted 13/01/2015 at 09:31:21

Police budgets, overtime, Saturday night lots to do already, blah, blah, blah.

I kind of understand their position, but it's the first evening Goodison derby in 6 years. It's hardly a regular occurrence! Don't remember this fuss about the Anfjord (renamed in recognition of their Scandinavian fans) in January this year either.

Let's batter them on the pitch and no arrests at the match will be two fingers to our wimped out police force.

Andrew Ellams
23 Posted 13/01/2015 at 09:59:27

Mark is right, it was 2-3 with a last minute free kick from McAllister and if I'm not mistaken that night's shocking referee was Jeff Winter.

John Gee
24 Posted 13/01/2015 at 10:35:32

I seem to remember McAllister taking the free kick about 20 yards away from where the foul was.

Sean McCarthy
27 Posted 15/01/2015 at 22:45:06

It was still daylight when McAllister scored in that game. Couldn't have been an 8pm kick-off unless it was played in mid June!!!!

Rob Halligan
28 Posted 15/01/2015 at 23:25:15

That game when McAllister scored that late winner was played on Monday 16 April 2001, with a 6PM kick off. Was it Easter Monday as seems a strange time to kick off? Jeff Winter was the referee.

Steve Carse
29 Posted 15/01/2015 at 23:34:43

John Gee, you're right. McAllister moved the ball some 7 or 8 yards forward so that a direct attempt on goal became feasible (if not that likely to produce a goal!). We didn't complain then, we don't complain now -- witness our lack of reaction to Larssen's positioning of the ball to take the free kick that ultimately cost us points at Sunderland. He moved the ball not just forward a couple of yards but also to the left a couple of yards so as to give himself the ideal position for hitting his favourite inside of the right foot curler from the free kick.

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