CRAIG JOHNSTON’S first official Merseyside derby appearance is listed as March 27, 1982 – a game in which he scored - but he had already had a stark introduction to the Liverpool and Everton rivalry long before that.
“I had just signed from Middlesbrough,” he remembers. “I was walking down the street in Liverpool. A Reds fan came up to me and said he loved me, I was the best thing since sliced bread and should come back to his house, have dinner and meet his family. It was surreal.
“Then 10 yards up the road there was another guy who said he hated me, and I should get back to Australia as soon as possible – though he didn’t put it quite so nicely! He was, of course, an Everton fan.
“So that was my welcome to Liverpool, my first introduction to the derby rivalry. And all within 10 minutes of arriving in the city!
He adds: “But I loved the banter, because there was always a humorous element to it. I like to think I have a good sense of humour, and it is a good job, because you wouldn’t last five minutes in Liverpool without one!”
