Our music scene, impressive architecture and our humour. Liverpool is famous across the globe for a whole host of reasons. But nothing unites us and divides us as much as sport. Home to two top flight Premier League teams, which have shaped our past, present and future.
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00:00 Bob Waterhouse knows all too well about the trials and tribulations of the Beautiful Game.
00:07 The retired teacher's latest book, titled Liverpool Football Club Ruined My Life, examines why the Reds overtook the Toffees as the dominant Merseyside club.
00:18 In the early 60s when I started supporting Everton and they were definitely the number one team on Merseyside then.
00:27 However, this dominance was about to come apart very rapidly actually.
00:36 The history of both clubs is so intrinsically linked. Everton were the first of the two teams to exist.
00:42 Known first as St Domingos, they started life playing in Stanley Park, moving on to Anfield to accommodate their crowd of fans.
00:50 Following a disagreement over rent, the Blues moved to Goodison Park, making space for Liverpool FC to be formed.
00:57 Some of the younger fans may not realise that Everton used to play at Anfield.
01:02 I think that common source has given the city a degree of unity that for instance has never existed in Glasgow.
01:13 Liverpool fans have been left feeling bereft at the bombshell news that Jurgen Klopp has announced he'll be leaving the club at the end of the season.
01:22 The Reds' beloved managers led the team to victory in six major trophies over his nine and a half years at the club.
01:28 Over on the Blues side of the city, despite being hit by a second charge by the Premier League, there is plenty to look forward to with a brand new home at Bramley Moor Dock on the horizon for the Toffees.
01:39 In terms of the fans, they've got much more in common than separates them.
01:44 But I think Everton's fans in particular probably as a result of the relative lack of success over the last 30 or 40 years.
01:53 Everton's fans are very much localised.
01:56 About 20 years ago there was a survey suggesting that over half of them come from within a 30 or 40 mile radius of the city.
02:03 Liverpool's fan base as I'm sure you know is much more globalised.
02:07 Not that Everton's isn't. Everton's local fan base is North Liverpool.
02:12 Years ago the opposite was the case with Liverpool.
02:15 Across the city, murals dedicated to players from both clubs leave no doubt about how much impact they have on our lives.
02:22 That feeling of belonging and togetherness is something that's hard to replicate these days.
02:31 I think the atmosphere at football matches is far better than I can remember from the dark days of the 70s and early 80s.
02:40 You know, hooliganism has not disappeared but it's all intents and purposes it doesn't seem to be there.
02:51 Nothing unites us or divides us in this city as much as football.
02:56 Home to two top flight Premier League teams, the passion and love that we have here eclipses everything else.
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