I was disappointed by Everton turnout after Liverpool legends game - but answer is provided by Arsenal

The pre-match soundtrack ahead of this weekend's Women's Merseyside derby featured a well-received airing of the club's resurgent anthem, 'Spirit of the Blues'.

It is a shame, though, that more people did not respond to the song's rallying cry to 'get down to Goodison Park', with just 9,457 fans turning out to watch Everton and Liverpool go toe-to-toe at the Grand Old Lady. The contrast to the gate at the same fixture last season - a club record of 22,161 - was stark, and it is fair to say the lack of atmosphere contributed to a game that, in the words of Reds boss Matt Beard, "didn't feel like a derby".

There is, however, some important mitigation for the decrease in ticket uptake. Last term, Everton sold just 57% of those 22,161 tickets, with the rest having been given away for free to various local schools and businesses. The ECHO understands that the plan this year was not to hand out complimentary tickets for fear of creating a culture where some supporters don't feel obligated to pay to attend women's games.

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Certainly, it is hard to argue with that approach. Failing to attach a price to Women's Super League (WSL) tickets only serves to devalue a product which, regardless of what the cynics say, deserves its moment in the spotlight. Of the 22 players who started the game on Sunday afternoon, 15 are full internationals. Many have represented their country at World Cups and European Championships and are elite athletes at the peak of their powers.

It's also worth noting that women's football is one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative sports in