How the decision was reached to postpone the Merseyside derby amid severe weather warnings and concerns for safety
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View of the gates to Goodison Park closed and wind damage to the tributes left beneath the Dixie Dean statue following the announcement of the postponement of the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool at Goodison Park due to the adverse weather conditions brought on by Storm Darragh on December 07, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jon Super/Everton FC)
The Merseyside derby was postponed after officials from Everton, Liverpool FC and key safety agencies met at Goodison Park on Saturday morning. Those in attendance were alive to the potential for the game to be called off after high-profile meetings across Friday as Liverpool braced for Storm Darragh.
With forecasters at the Met Office placing the region under an amber weather warning, predicting gusts of up to 70mph, Merseyside Police had issued a warning against all “non-essential” travel for Saturday, when the winds were expected to peak.
The concerns led to the cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled public visits to the Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, currently docked in Liverpool, while other events were also called off ahead of the weekend.
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The decision was made to continue discussions into Saturday, by which point Storm Darragh was due to arrive and a judgement call could be made based on the severity of the conditions.
Those talks resumed at Goodison Park on Saturday morning amid an increasingly concerning picture. By 7am, the weather was already having an impact on the travel network with Merseyrail services in Liverpool and on Wirral disrupted due to the weather. Separately, a 7am inspection at nearby Aintree Racecourse led to the Bechers Chase meeting being abandoned as the wind had already damaged “track infrastructure”.
The decision around the derby, particularly given its significance as the final league game between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison, had the potential to be more complex due to the plans in place to manage the game and the interest in the fixture, with broadcasters around the world scheduled to show the game.
But the priority on Saturday - and in the days before - was always the safety of the tens of thousands of supporters who would be in and around Goodison at the height of the severe weather, including the potential threat for debris falling from the homes and buildings that surround the ground.
The intensity of the storm in the early morning hours and the potential for it to worsen therefore led to the members of the Safety Advisory Group, including officials from both clubs, Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council, to call off the game “due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday”.
For Everton, the dangers posed by such conditions were highlighted so tragically by the death of supporter Bernard Murphy, who died when he was hit by a timber hoarding when the Blues played at Leicester City in 2004.
That game, at Leicester’s Walkers Stadium, took place amid severe weather and was particularly fresh in the memory after the 20th anniversary of Mr Murphy’s death was marked when Everton travelled to Leicester just two months ago, with a commemorative wreath laid by the club in his memory.
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A statement from Everton, released after the game was postponed, added: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding. Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance.”
The decision to call the game off means the final derby at Goodison Park will now be rearranged, with a night game under the lights anticipated for the last edition of one of world football’s most storied occasions.
Everton said all tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged game.