Bootle v Everton- The Original Merseyside Derby

Everton, 1881

Everton had been in existence for some 14 years before the breakaway that led to the formation of Liverpool. Formed as St Domingo's in 1878, their first great rivalry was with another Merseyside club, Bootle. 
Bootle was  founded in 1879 as Bootle St John's by Rev. Alfred Keely who had moved to the area to become the Curate of St John's church. He was a keen association player, though at the time Rugby football was more popular in the area. The team was made up of former public schoolboys.  When Rev. Keely moved south in 1882 these chaps defected from Bootle and formed another club, Liverpool Ramblers. 

Bootle won the first ever Liverpool Senior Cup in 1883 and again in 1888 and 1889. Everton won the Liverpool Senior Cup 12 times in 18 seasons in the 19th century. Some conspiracy theorists state that Bootle were the strongest team on Merseyside in the 1880s, and that Everton achieved their place in the Football League under William McGregor's one club per town rule due to either bribery or Freemasonry.The head to head results between the two clubs suggests that Everton were in fact the more deserving of the 2, Bootle's ascendancy being confined to the 1880 and 1883 seasons.  Whereas Everton became founder members of the Football League, finishing the first season in 8th place, Bootle were among the teams that formed the The Combination for the 1888-89 season. They applied unsuccessfully to join the League in 1889 and 1890  and were finally admitted in 1892. Financial difficulties led to Bootle resigning after one season, their place in the league being taken by Liverpool.  
In compiling the list of results I consulted Tony Onslow's The Forgotten Rivals and  backed this up with my own research using the archives of the Liverpool Mercury.  

10.02.80	Everton	0	2	Bootle St Johns	Stanley Park
24.02.80	Everton	0	4	Bootle St Johns	Stanley Park
01.03.81	Everton	1	0	Bootle	Stanley Park
14.01.82	Bootle	1	4	Everton	Marsh Lane
02.12.82	Bootle	2	0	Everton	Marsh Lane
20.01.83	Everton	0	1	Bootle	Stanley Park
27.01.83	Bootle	3	1	Everton	Fairfield
Liverpool Cup semi final.
01.01.84	Bootle	1	2	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
31.01.85	Everton	2	1	Bootle	Anfield
Liverpool Cup
07.03.85	Everton	3	1	Bootle	Anfield
02.09.85	Everton	2	0	Bootle	Anfield
31.10.85	Everton	2	2	Bootle	Anfield
23.01.86	Bootle	0	1	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
10.04.86	Bootle	0	1	Everton	Walton Stiles
Liverpool Cup final
25.05 85	Bootle	0	1	Everton	Fairfield
Liverpool Athletic Club Shield- result disputed by Bootle citing dubious refereeing decisions- result stood.
23.10.86	Bootle	0	1	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
Liverpool Cup -match ended early due to crowd encroachment- result stood
03.12.87	Everton	2	0	Bootle	Anfield
Liverpool Cup – Everton banned for persuading players to join them by financial inducement. Bootle go through.
25.12.88	Everton	0	0	Bootle	Anfield
03.03.89	Bootle	3	3	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
13.04.89	Everton	1	2	Bootle	Anfield
26.12.89	Everton	3	0	Bootle	Anfield
29.03.90	Bootle	2	2	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
09.04.90	Bootle	1	4	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
Liverpool Cup final.
26.05.90	Everton	5	0	Bootle	Anfield
08.09.90	Everton	3	2	Bootle	Anfield
Benefit match for the financially embarrassed Bootle raised £135.
07.02.91	Everton	2	1	Bootle	Anfield
March 91	Bootle	1	2	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
Everton historian Tony Onslow refers to a match  played in March 1891 but I can find no contemporary evidence that this match took place.
27.04.91	Bootle	0	4	Everton	Hawthorne Rd
Liverpool Cup final
01.09.91	Everton	7	0	Bootle	Anfield
26.02.92	Everton	3	0	Bootle	Anfield
Lancashire Cup- Bootle protested due to snow on pitch.
12.04.92	Everton	2	1	Bootle	Anfield
Liverpool Cup semi- final; the match was played  40 mins each way  and Bootle protested due to darkness.
26.12.92	Everton	1	1	Bootle	Goodison Park
12.04.93	Everton	2	1	Bootle	Goodison Park
Liverpool Cup- Everton fielded their reserves.