The postponement of the last-ever Goodison Park Merseyside derby just four hours before kick-off has put paid to a young fan’s lifelong dream to see his beloved Everton take on Liverpool at the home of the Toffees.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent £1,500 to attend the match that was scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon before the clash was called off because of chaos caused by Storm Darragh.
The teenager, who has been a die-hard Everton fan since birth thanks to his Liverpool-born mother Rita, saved up his cash to enable him to go on a two-week trip to see Sean Dyche‘s side in matches against Wolves and Liverpool.
But it was the arrival of the Reds to Goodison that motivated his extraordinary journey. The Toffees, who have played at their famous old stadium since 1892, will move to their new 52,888-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Fears of the game’s postponement were first raised on Friday when the Met Office issued rare ‘danger to life’ red warnings across Wales in anticipation of the damage Storm Darragh would cause. Amber warnings were issued along most of the English west coast.
Ahead of the gut-wrenching news, Mackenzie’s grandmother Jo, 75, who is putting the teenager up while in the UK, told the Liverpool Echo that she was devastated when she learned the game might be called off.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent £1,500 to attend the match that was scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon
The last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was called off just four hours before kick-off due to Storm Darragh
The teenager, who has been a die-hard Evertonian since birth, saved up his cash to see his side face their bitter rivals
‘I was sick when I heard that,’ she said. ‘He’s come all this way, spent all this money and the match might be off.’
Storm Darragh is wreaking havoc across the country with winds of up to 92mph causing travel chaos, damage and leaving thousands without power.
Liverpool said the late postponement was due to ‘severe weather and high winds, which have also resulted in severe travel disruption in and around Merseyside’.
The decision for the game not to go ahead was taken by local authorities and not the two clubs.
Liverpool said: ‘Liverpool FC can confirm today’s Premier League fixture against Everton at Goodison Park, scheduled for a 12.30pm kick-off, has been postponed.
‘This is due to severe weather and high winds, which have also resulted in severe travel disruption in and around Merseyside.
‘Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting this morning at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, it was decided that due to the risk to safety in the local area, and the amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday, today’s match is postponed on safety grounds.
‘We appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, but the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance. Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture, including ticketing, will be announced in due course.’
Storm Darragh has battered large parts of Britain, bringing a ‘danger to life’ in some regions
E-scooters are strewn on the pavement outside Goodison Park, where Liverpool had been due to play Everton on Saturday
Sean Dyche’s side were aiming to claim back-to-back victories against their rivals at Goodison this weekend
Everton added: ‘We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding.’
The decision to call off the Merseyside derby will be especially disappointing to Mackenzie.
It comes as millions of Britons have been warned to stay indoors after Storm Darragh arrived in the UK last night.
Three million people in the red wind warning areas were issued an emergency alert on their phones – as part of the Government’s ‘risk to life’ warning system – urging them to avoid driving and to ‘stay indoors if you can’.
Train services in parts of England and Wales have been disrupted due to debris on tracks, and flight schedules face delays as airlines contend with the challenging weather. The situation has also led to the closure of outdoor venues, further adding to the weekend’s chaos.
The storm has disrupted travel across the country, with the train line to Liverpool from Crewe partially blocked because of an ‘obstruction on the track’, London Northwestern Railway said on X, formerly Twitter.
Liverpool is not among the worst affected areas – it had been placed under an amber weather warning – but the planned racing meeting at nearby Aintree was also called off due to Storm Darragh, which has battered large parts of Britain.
‘Today’s Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed due to safety concerns caused by the adverse weather conditions,’ the Premier League said in a statement on Saturday morning.
A fallen tree on Queen’s Drive in Liverpool caused by the devastation of Storm Darragh
‘The rearrangement of the fixture will be announced in due course.’
Everton’s clash with Liverpool is the fifth fixture in England’s top four leagues to be postponed because of the storm.
Two games in the Championship have also fallen victim to the storm – Cardiff’s home match against Watford and Plymouth against Oxford United.
In League One, Bristol Rovers versus Bolton has also been called off, while in League Two Newport County clash with Carlisle has been postponed.
No football matches will take place in Wales on Saturday because of safety fears caused by the storm.
