Reaction from the Merseyside Media

By: Mike Worden
Date: 11/10/2001

‘Two shots, two goals and the holders tumble at the first hurdle’ - Reaction from the Merseyside Media.

On an ordinary day the Merseyside media devotes sizeable coverage to news concerning its football sides. On the day after the Mariners breathtaking defeat of the holders of the Worthington Cup, both the press and radio have been reacting to the unexpected Reds exit. In almost all reports the local connections of both Phil Jevons and Danny Coyne have been prominent.

The back page headline on the morning paper, the Daily Post, predictably read, ‘Jevons Above’, over a picture of the Town players running round the back of the goal celebrating the last minute winner. Inside the paper comparison was made between Grimsby and Roma, the only two sides to have beaten Liverpool in cup competitions in 20 months, but in a reference worthy of ‘Mentioned’, the paper couldn’t help saying that it would be hard to find two more contrasting places as Rome and Grimsby. The article said that Liverpool only had themselves to blame for wasting so many opportunities during the game, but praised Town’s defending. Forced to give the man of the match award to a Liverpool player, the paper chose Sami Hyypia, but said that it should really have been Danny Coyne.

The evening paper, the Liverpool Echo ran the headline ‘Grim Reaper’s Bolt from Blue’. The match report argued that Liverpool will never dominate a game so much again and lose. ‘Two shots, two goals, and the holders tumble at the first hurdle’, says the article. The Echo gave its man of the match award to Smicer on his return to first team action. The match report conveniently concluded by saying that it could be a blessing in disguise for the Reds, with less need to worry about fixture congestion this season. Considerable coverage was devoted to the post match interview with Phil Jevons, the ‘boyhood kopite’ and former Blue. Other sports section articles provided detail on the broken foot sustained by Liverpool defender Vignal in the game, and playing down a report linking Everton with Zhang Enhua’s country and club side team mate, defender Sun Jihal.

Radio Merseyside’s football pundit Alan Jackson offered warm congratulations to the Mariners in Wednesday’s sports show, picking up on Danny Coyne’s excellent performance in particular. The station was quick to dismiss those who said that the result didn’t matter to Liverpool by mentioning how distraught the Liverpool players were after the match. Both Radio Merseyside and Radio Lancashire broadcast interviews with Jevons, in which the striker talked about his time in Liverpool’s junior sides, his lack of chances at Goodison and his hopes for the Mariners.

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