Millwall vs Everton combat sparked 50-year feud – with followers ‘repeatedly stabbed’

The historical past of soccer is marked by bitter rivalries – usually between golf equipment which can be sited only a few miles aside.

But one of many deadliest feuds within the English league entails two groups at nearly reverse ends of the nation.

The animosity between Everton and Millwall dates again 50 years, to the 1973 FA Cup fifth spherical match at Goodison Park. Two Millwall followers have been significantly injured and at the very least 11 others suffered knife wounds.

“It was in the days of no segregation and the early days of hooliganism and long before all-ticket matches,” the Terrace Geezer podcast defined.

READ MORE: ‘Fighting Millwall as Spurs hooligan was mad – folks threw spears and bloke was impaled’

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“Around 2,000 Millwall fans travelled up to Scouseland, and there were several incidents around Liverpool City Centre. The police couldn’t cope with the Millwall fans, and wouldn’t put them in the ground together, so they came up with the idea of letting them in in small pockets all over the ground.”

This tactic proved disastrous. Everton’s infamous County Road Cutters and the Millwall FC Bushwackers confronted off throughout the terraces, with dozens of harmless followers caught up within the mayhem. Old-school Millwall followers nonetheless discuss it as their darkest day. A infamous, long-lived graffiti slogan on a wall close to the outdated Den learn: “If there’s a God give us Everton in the cup.” The hatred is now third era.

One Everton fan mentioned they nonetheless remembered it vividly. He defined: “What happened was some Millwall fans dressed up in Clockwork Orange gear, came into Gwladys Street and a few of them were knifed.”

Another Toffees supporter, named Ian, recalled: “A load of Millwall fans came through the turnstile on Bullens Road, thinking it was The Paddock entrance. There was loads of trouble in the street and 13 Millwall fans were stabbed. The Millwall fans who entered the Gwladys Street end of the ground were being set upon as soon as they went through the gates and the police stood back and watched.

“A few of them tried to climb the fence into the Boys enclosure but were pulled down or slashed where they were it was really bad I mean I felt a bit sick afterwards at what I’d witnessed.

“My uncle was confronted as he went to the toilet but being Irish he was able to convince his would-be attackers he was there to watch Everton which was just as well as one of them had a great big knife.”

The grudges fashioned on that fateful day nonetheless proceed, and those who have been there discovered it arduous to overlook what they noticed. One Toffees fan wrote on a membership discussion board: “I used to be sat on a barrier proper in the course of it aged about eight or 9. Couldn’t transfer as to leap down of my perch I might have been within the thick of the Millwall followers, they bought hammered even with out the weapons that have been getting in, knives, screwdrivers, a hammer…

“None died however one or two have been in a nasty approach. I believe it was 11 stabbed, some on the way in which again to Lime Street. Anybody within the Boys’ pen would have seen first hand one among them getting stabbed as he tried to climb up the fence. Just a few from the stands went for him and he tried to drop down, bought repeatedly stabbed as he hung there.

“Millwall had some stocky blonde fella in a sheepskin with them. I don’t know what number of instances he went down however he bought proper up and had one other go. One of his mates was in a nasty approach, and even because the stretcher was going onto the pitch this gentle sod was nonetheless shouting the chances coated in blood, complete madman.

“Scary for a child to be so near that. I believe i used to be in shock for a lot of the sport, did not assist that their keeper had an excellent sport… and us getting beat.”

Around a hundred Millwall fans., scouring Lime Street station after the match in search of an Everton fan on whom they could exact their revenge, were reinforced by a group of Man City fans who were on their way home from Anfield.

Another pitched battle ensured there, one that has echoed down the years and been repeated whenever the two sides have been drawn to play each other.

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