Former Everton striker Francis Jeffers has recalled his infamous Merseyside Derby dust-up with Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld and has revealed why he was actually be pleased to be told first that he was being sent off.
The pair were both dismissed by referee Mike Riley following a scuffle in the 74th minute of Everton’s 1-0 win at Anfield on September 27, 1999, which over two decades on remains the Blues last victory across Stanley Park.
In what was something of a catchweight contest with a then teenage Scouser some three-and-a-half stones lighter than his opponent, he was relieved to be sent down the tunnel first.
Jeffers told The Official Everton Podcast: “It was something and nothing. Emotions are high in the derby game.
“I think I saw him a couple of weeks later in the Blue Bar I think, and all was forgotten.
“Luckily for me, the referee was using his head and he didn’t want us walking off together so he told me ‘you’re going first’ and I knew I was getting sent off and the big fella was coming.
“I was happy that I was going first because there was a chance to get in the changing rooms and lock the door quick.”
Westerveld, who would later play two games for Everton on loan from Portsmouth during a goalkeeping crisis during the 2005/06 season when Nigel Martyn, Richard Wright and Iain Turner were all unavailable, admits he’d have gone in a bit harder on the youngster if he’d have known he’d be getting his marching orders.
He said: “I don’t think it was anything to be honest. I think they call it a ‘handbag’ fight.
“I think it came from the first half when you were diving in the box.
“We ran up to each other. It was my first derby in England and I think there was as much aggression as possible.
“Afterwards, I’ve told people many times, if I knew I was going to get a red card than I’d have tried to hit him a bit harder.”
The Dutchman added: “We were losing 1-0, it was emotional and I knew how important games like that are.
“Everything came together in that moment and afterwards I felt guilty to the other boys on my team and I apologised.
“I remember coming in to Melwood and Gerard Houllier called me into the office. I thought ‘here we go’ but he told me: ‘I loved it! This is what we need – passion and aggression, the will to win, although I didn’t like the red card, you threw everything at it.’
“I thought I was going to walk out crying but I had a big smile on my face.
“There are not too many clips of me on the internet so if you Google my name, this one comes up straight away. My kids have seen it and people are still talking about it over 20 years later.”
Everton were captained on the night by former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison who recalls that with Steven Gerrard also red carded in the closing stages, Walter Smith’s side actually left the pitch feeling that they should have won more convincingly.
He said: “It was the performance as well, I thought we played really well. It was one of those games where we came away disappointed.
“We thought in the last 20 minutes or so, it could have been two, three or four.
“We controlled the game. It’s not like Liverpool were peppering our goal for an equaliser. We had people like John Collins who could keep the ball.
“For a derby it was pretty much stress free. Even though you’ve got the emotions and away from home you’re trying to hang on to a 1-0 lead.”
