Football on Boxing Day is a long-held tradition, unique to England and Scotland. When the fixture list is released prior to the start of the season, supporters flock to see whether their side has a home or away game on Boxing Day and who the opposition will be.
Most other European leagues have a break of at least one week (Germany have six), but in England, clubs can have as many as four games in the space of seven days.
Why is it played?
Eight games are being played on Boxing Day this season, when most other major European leagues will be on their winter break. With the Premier League being a global brand with a massive television deal, Boxing Day fixtures mean extra revenue for advertisers and it strengthens the Premier League’s hand when it comes to negotiating broadcasting rights. This season, three games are to be shown on Sky Sports on Boxing Day, Watford vs. Crystal Palace, Hull vs. Manchester City and from the Championship, Newcastle vs. Sheffield Wednesday.
Clubs also find it a money-spinner as they can sell out stadiums, due to most people being on holiday and therefore being able to travel to the games. Sold out grounds result in bumper gate receipts and it’s one of the main reasons as to why those who advocate for a winter break between Christmas and New Year are unlikely to get their way.
What prompted the tradition?
There’s a widespread belief that the Boxing Day football tradition came about as a result of English and German soldiers downing their weapons at Christmas in World War 1 in 1914 and playing a game of football in No Man’s Land.
The English FA paid tribute on its 100-year anniversary by organising a charity match between soldiers from Great Britain and Germany in 2014.
The Winter Break
Some foreign players criticise the Premier League’s Christmas schedule, which incorporates three league games and an FA Cup third-round tie in potentially seven days. Others embrace it, whilst some players actively go looking to get sent off in the build-up to the festive period, in order to serve their suspension on or around Boxing Day, so they can spend Christmas with their families.
Recent struggles for English clubs in the Champions League have led to calls for there to be a winter break in the calendar. The top English clubs perceive it to be unfair that they have to compete against teams who’ve benefitted from a mid-season break. An argument against that is these clubs tend to be the wealthiest ones in England and therefore they should have a squad that’s capable of contesting multiple competitions.
Another argument for the winter break stems from England’s failure in major tournaments the following summer. Louis Van Gaal was a staunch critic of the schedule, citing players’ exhaustion as a reason for England’s dismal recent performances.
