Epstein managed other groups, among them Gerry and the Pacemakers, but although successful they never matched the appeal of the Beatles.

ECONOMIST: George Harrison | The

The ferries, immortalised by Gerry and the Pacemakers 1960's hit Ferry Cross the Mersey, are subsidised by tolls from the Mersey Tunnels.

BBC: Mersey Ferries to be reviewed over ?1m yearly losses

Perhaps showing how bad things have been in recent times, Gerry Marsden, of Gerry and the Pacemakers, led a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone on the pitch right before the game started to give the fans a boost.

BBC: Fernando Torres