Andy Burnham believes Everton's relationship with Celtic Football Club came long before Liverpool's affiliation.
Kenny Dalglish's move to Anfield from Scotland back in 1977 sparked the Reds' personal love affair, but the blue side of Merseyside also boasts its own intrinsic links.
With 220 miles separating the two cities, many often wonder why the pair seemingly go hand-in-hand and the Mayor of Manchester details how many may have got the wrong end of the stick over the years...
"I’m a lone campaigner for Everton and Celtic being the true and original partnership," Burnham recently told FFT. "My upbringing was, ‘These are the clubs you’re going to support’.
"When I see this cult and love-in surrounding the other lot and You’ll Never Walk Alone, I struggle with it. There’s a photograph of Pat Van Den Hauwe wearing a Celtic ski hat – that was my hat.
"I handed it to him as he went to collect the cup. I used to have a split Everton and Celtic ski hat and a full Celtic hat as well.
Having followed Everton's endeavours throughout the 1980s and beyond, Burnham is often seen at Goodison Park mixing it with his very own Merseysiders.
But for him, a close second side always followed behind him and it is a connection he believes truly has stood the test of time...
"For me, it was always Everton and Celtic, and the links went back to players like Bobby Collins," he added. "John Collins also played for both clubs.
"There were at least as many Rangers/Liverpool supporters’ hats as Celtic/Liverpool. I remember going to watch Everton play a friendly at Celtic Park once – it was a great day."
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