Two Tribes

Cup Final Day, 1986, and the eyes of the world are on Liverpool and Everton as they walk out on to Wembley s lush green turf. Pumped with pride and passion, the two best teams in Europe are about to engage in a gladiatorial battle in front of 100,000 fanatical supporters. But this is not just another match, another cup final. On this warm day in May, the future of English football and a city s reputation is on the line.

A year before this momentous Cup Final, Liverpool fans had been involved in the Heysel disaster. Thirty-nine people had died in the decaying stadium a tragedy which cast a long, dark shadow over the sport. English clubs were banned from Continental competition, and football reached its lowest point.

Tony Evans s Two Tribes recalls the tumultuous 1985/86 season and the titanic struggle for supremacy between the two great Merseyside clubs. Set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, it reveals the full impact of Thatcher s policies, the vibrant northwest music scene and the burgeoning anti-establishment vibe on the streets and on the terraces.

Giving voice to players, managers, politicians and musicians, Two Tribes follows the remarkable twists and turns of a season and how Merseysiders took over London for one unforgettable day with deafening chants of Merseyside! Merseyside! ringing around Wembley Stadium.

Ultimately, this is the story of Liverpool s renaissance and Everton s private agony, masked by a show of solidarity and communal spirit on the day, and how a season which began in shame ended in pride.