What sets the English Premier League apart from other top leagues is how the PL is always packed with fixtures around Christmas, whereas the other leagues often enjoy either a reduced number of fixtures or no fixtures at all. With Boxing Day right around the corner, English Premier League teams are enjoying a break this Christmas Day.
While everyone is enjoying the festive season at home, it calls for a break for everyone involved in the league, from officials to players, to enjoy a day off. Premier League Player of the Year Erling Haaland seems to be enjoying the holiday, as players prepare themselves for Boxing Day. However, it is quite intriguing why games are not played on Christmas anymore.
Why are English Premier League games not played on Christmas Day?
While fatigue and family time for players and league officials are also concerns about not having league fixtures on Christmas Day, the main reason for not having any matches on December 25 dates back to the past.
Christmas Day football matches were once an essential component of England’s holiday season, at least until the 1950s, when they became a common custom. On Christmas and Boxing Days, teams would play full rounds of fixtures, with Everton playing twice on Christmas in 1988. However, those days are long gone from the columns of the past, as the advent of floodlights changed the status quo.
Match attendance started to fall off during Christmas, as people preferred to spend time at home with their loved ones rather than attend the league matches. Therefore, 1957–58 became the last English Premier League season to entertain matches on the 25th.
However, the league attempted to revive the tradition by playing Brentford and Wimbledon on Christmas Day in the 1980s, but the match was rescheduled due to protests from the fans.
Which teams are playing on Boxing Day?
While Christmas Day matches in the English Premier League are a thing of the past, Boxing Day has gained increasing popularity among fans and viewers worldwide.
Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest will kick off this year’s Boxing Day fixtures, with the Magpies aiming to secure a spot in the top four while Forest strive to climb out of the relegation zone. Luton Town and Sheffield United are up next. Bournemouth will be facing Fulham in a mid-table Boxing Day match.
Later in the evening, Burnley will host Liverpool. Both teams currently hold the second position in their respective standings. Burnley, who are second from the bottom, are striving to secure their survival. On the other hand, Liverpool sits second to Arsenal in the table and aims to clinch their second Premier League title.
Manchester United play Aston Villa in a fixture that has importance in the current title race, not from the Red Devils’ side but instead on the part of Villa as they look to move to the summit provided Arsenal and Liverpool drop more points.
Do you think Christmas Day fixtures in the English Premier League should be reintroduced to remove congestion from Boxing Day? Let us know what you think by posting in the comment section.
