Football fans of all stripes and none will need no telling that, of late, the quality of Mersey has been strained, writes Liam Mackey.

The fourth round of the FA Cup will feature a Merseyside derby after Liverpool and Everton were the first two balls drawn out of the hat.

The UK’s second biggest port operator said today it remained on track for a £780m (€1.1bn) takeover by the owner of Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport.