Merseyside Derby - Switching Sides - "Crossing The Park"

"Crossing The Park"

Despite the huge rivalry, Liverpool have completed more direct transfers with Everton than any other club. However, Liverpool did not buy directly from Everton between 1959 and 2000, while there was a similar "freeze" in the other direction between 1961 and 1982.

Dave Hickson, John Heydon and Frank Mitchell are the only three players to have played for Liverpool, Everton and Tranmere Rovers, the three Merseyside league clubs still in existence. New Brighton were football league members from 1923–51; Bill Lacey and Neil McBain played for all three of Everton, Liverpool and New Brighton. Finally, John Whitehead played for Liverpool, Everton and also for Bootle in their one year as a league team (1892–93), before they were replaced in Division 2 by local rivals Liverpool FC.

The list below shows transfer dates and fees, where known.

Everton then Liverpool

• Abel Xavier 2002 £750,000 (only player to play in both derby matches for both teams in the same season)
• Nick Barmby 2000 £6m (the highest fee Liverpool have paid Everton)
• Dave Hickson 1959 £12,000 (also played for Tranmere Rovers one of only three players to play for all three Merseyside clubs still in existence)
• Tony McNamara 1957 £4,000
• John Heydon 1949 no fee (also played for Tranmere Rovers one of only three players to play for all three Merseyside clubs still in existence)
• Bill Harthill 1936
• Jack Balmer 1935 no fee
• Thomas Johnson 1934
• Frank Mitchell 1919 (also played for Tranmere Rovers one of only three players to play for all three Merseyside clubs still in existence)
• Bill Lacey 1912 part of exchange deal for Uren (Lacey also played for New Brighton, one of six players to have played for three Merseyside clubs)
• Tom Gracie 1912 part of exchange deal for Uren
• Don Sloan 1908 no fee
• David Murray 1904
• Abe Hartley 1897
• Alex Latta 1896 (Did not make a senior appearance for Liverpool)
• Fred Geary 1895 £60
• John Whitehead 1894 (also played for Bootle), one of six players to have played for three Merseyside clubs
• Patrick Gordon 1893
• Duncan McLean 1892
• Tom Wylie 1892

The following played for another/other club before moving to Liverpool

• Andrew Hannah - Played for Renton F.C. in between. (The first player to captain both Everton and Liverpool)
• Edgar Chadwick - Played for Blackburn Rovers and Burnley in between.
• David Johnson- Played for Ipswich Town in between; returned to Everton after playing for Liverpool.
• Neil McBain - Played for St. Johnstone in between. He also played - under bizarre circumstances - one game for New Brighton: as manager he played one game in goal due to an injury crisis, at the age of 52, becoming the oldest player ever to play in a league game
• Steve McMahon- Played for Aston Villa in between. He is also one of only two players to have captained both Everton and Liverpool.
• Darren Potter- Everton youth player who never made a first-team appearance, played for Blackburn Rovers in between.
• Billy Scott- Played for Leeds City in between.

Liverpool then Everton

• Gary Ablett 1992 £750,000 (only player to win the FA Cup with both clubs)
• Peter Beardsley 1991 £1m (Everton's most expensive signing from Liverpool)
• Alan Harper 1983 £100,000 (though on Liverpool's books, he never made a first-team appearance)
• Kevin Sheedy 1982 £100,000
• David Johnson 1982 £100,000 (started at Everton, went to Ipswich Town then Liverpool then back to Everton)
• Johnny Morrissey 1962 £10,000
• Jimmy Payne 1956 £5,000
• Dick Forshaw 1927 Only player to win the League Championship with both clubs
• Harold Uren 1912 part of exchange deal for Lacey and Gracie
• Benjamin Howard Baker c.1910

The following played for another/other club before moving to Everton

• Arthur Berry - Played for Oxford University in between
• David Burrows - Played for West Ham United in between.
• Don Hutchison - Played for West Ham United and Sheffield United in between.
• Dave Watson - Played for Norwich City in between.
• John Gidman - Played for Aston Villa in between.
• Sander Westerveld - (Loan) Played for Real Sociedad and Portsmouth in between.

As well as players "crossing the park", Everton's first ever manager W. E. Barclay stayed on at Anfield after Everton moved to Goodison Park to become Liverpool's first manager.