Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton is football's sibling rivalry as FA Cup semi-final D-Day nears Perhaps this is a perception so sickly sweet it requires a health warning to diabetics. Maybe this was capturing a moment in time at the 1985 Milk Cup Final, the first in what became a series of London meetings, which left the city so gushing with pride it demanded to be recorded in such romantic terms. Four years later, the unity carried more resonance as the clubs met post-Hillsborough. These Wembley fixtures captured the idea of the city of Liverpool rivalry as unique. Scousers, never shy to remind anyone ignorant of their uniqueness just how wonderful they are, proved that actually, well, every so often they are rather exceptional. The Merseyside derby rivalry has no bigoted, geographical or class connotations and, aside from sporadic incidents, is limited to verbal rather than physical abuse. There are those who believe it is no longer what it was and others who'll argue it was never that friendly to begin with. Supporters of both clubs tend to agree the friendliness has been overplayed, but any undercurrents of antipathy are limited. "The Friendly Derby has always been a media myth," says Anthony Dunn, a Liverpool fan who, alongside his Evertonian friend Anthony Scotland, runs his own website - The Mersey Juror - allowing the rival banter to flourish within the same cyberspace. How can you label a passionate game of football as friendly? The Merseyside Derby is very much a family affair and, as is the case with most families, things are very rarely friendly. The team I enjoy beating the most is Everton, however the team I respect the most is also Everton. My favourite away ground is Goodison Park and my favourite days of the year are Derby days. How can you hate something you love? The atmosphere during the game can get a bit nasty, but it's only ever a chant or a song and the sinister stuff is always resigned to the minority. Hooliganism and fighting however have never been a problem, something I don't ever see changing. There is a healthy disregard for each others club, but - among the sane elements of both sets of fans - it doesn't cross the line. "I remember once coming out the Gwladys Street after Liverpool had beaten us 3-0 and I saw Dunny waving his hands in the air," said Scotland. I just said 'don't lad' and to be fair that was the end of it. No rubbing it in or anything like that. What does annoy me about Liverpool is their constant belief that Everton fans are obsessed with them and bitter. I find that hypocritical when you listen to them talking about Manchester United all the time. They might not like this but United, Man City, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea no longer see Liverpool as a threat. More Liverpool fans may agree with this more than it's popular to admit. "A lot of modern Liverpool and Everton fans have become very blinkered, seeing no fault in their own club but plenty in the other," says Dunn. The truth is we're both as bad as each other. The introduction of Sky and the tendency for people to believe everything they read has led to a lot of fans taking themselves too seriously. This is where a lot of the ill feeling stems from. If either team gets beat, it is instantly shoved in their face from every angle and a lot of fans let it get the better of them. It's hard to escape football in Liverpool, so if things aren't going too well, it's inevitable that you start getting annoyed by the opposition. In the 80s both clubs were at the peak of their powers, so derby defeats will have no doubt been handled more graciously. I feel sorry for any supporter who views this weekend's game as a chance to get angry or irate in public. They're an embarrassment to themselves, the two clubs and the city. I'm going down to London with a group of reds and blues and although the terraces won't be as mixed as they were in 1989, there will be plenty of fans in the wrong end. I don't mind that. I won't try to make myself look like a hero by telling an Evertonian to get out of 'our end'. All very reasonable this. Not conforming to the expectations those who think an exodus from Merseyside should lead to mass boarding up of windows near Wembley Central. It's rooted in the fact there is more to bond Liverpool and Everton fans than divide. "The Hillsborough tragedy was felt by the City of Liverpool and we came together," says Scotland. I was moved to tears when LFC played Z-CARS at Anfield in memory of Rhys Jones. We are unique. No other City on the planet would have done that. City for United, Newcastle for Sunderland, Celtic, Rangers, Lazio, Roma, Boca, River Plate. Its the scouse way. Its what separates us from the rest. That, in a nutshell is why no-one on Merseyside calls it the friendly derby. It's just THE derby.