Boxing Day – Premier League matches played on December 26 – the day followed by Christmas.
What is Boxing Day?
Many football fans believe that Boxing Day is a period between the Catalan Christmas and New Year when Premier League clubs play three or four matches. However, Boxing Day is a specified day on December 26 – the day followed by Christmas.
Boxing Day peculiarities
Boxing Day matches are special fixtures and largely differ from the ones played throughout the whole year. Nowhere on earth football is played the next day following Christmas with hundreds of fans in stadiums.
Boxing Day – the day of boxes with presents inside and celebrated on December 26 the next day following Christmas.
Boxing Day history
The first match of Boxing Day took place in England on December 26 1860 when Sheffield won Hall City 2:0.
Years on in 1888 in Everton played two matches on Christmas and on Boxing Day.
In 1889 when Football League was founded Preston North End played a Christmas match against Aston Villa and won them 3-2.
Christmas matches became more famous after World War I and tickets were often given mainly children as a present on Christmas.
Tight schedule and leaders’ misfires
According to tradition, Boxing Day matches were played between local opponents which gave them chance to stay at homeland and not to cross long distance.
In English Premier League the Boxing Day schedule gives most fun to supporters not players as they should do their best and physically be ready for the tight matches during all 4 tours.
Tour 1: The matches are played on weekend on December 21-23.
Tour 2: The matches are played following Christmas day – on December 26.
Tour 3: On the Eve of New Year – December 30-32.
Tour 4: In New Year.
Boxing Day is a very dangerous period for top leaders as not all of them can escape injuries.
The main problem: The problem is the schedule which is tight, players’ physical form and benched players.
Many scored goals
Premier League Boxing Day is often full of crazy results.
In 1963 on December 26 in first division 66 goals were scored in 10 matches, while in 4 divisions wholly taken – 160 goals.
On the next day famous newspaper Тhe Daily Mail posted “Crazy, Crazy, Crazy Crazy Boxing Day football” as fans saw extraordinary Premier League football – 3 pokers, 3 hat-tricks, 8 doubles and 4 red cards.
When and who will face Premier League top clubs
Tour 19 (December 26)
- Leicester – Manchester City
- Liverpool – Newcastle
- Manchester United – Huddersfield
- Tottenham – Bournemouth
- Brighton – Arsenal
- Watford – Chelsea
Tour 20
- Tottenham – Wolverhampton (December 29)
- Liverpool – Arsenal (December 29)
- Crystal Palace – Chelsea (December 30)
- Southampton – Manchester City (December 30)
- Manchester United – Bournemouth (December 30)
Tour 21
- Arsenal – Fulham (January 1)
- Cardiff – Tottenham (January 1)
- Chelsea – Southampton (January 2)
- Newcastle – Manchester United (January 3)
- Manchester City – Liverpool (January 4)
