What’s happened to Premier League Boxing Day matches?

The Independent

What has happened to Premier League Boxing Day games?Credit: Luke Reevey/The Independent

Transcript

00:00You might be familiar with this picture.

00:02It's the Boxing Day results from the old First Division in 1963,

00:07where 66 goals were scored in just 10 games.

00:10It's since gone viral on social media.

00:13It encapsulates the magic of the Boxing Day fixture,

00:16which has become a tradition for fans up and down the country.

00:20In fact, such a staple of the beautiful game,

00:23the first match ever recorded between two clubs

00:26was played between Hallam FC and Sheffield FC in 1860 on Boxing Day.

00:32For the first time in the Premier League's era,

00:35there will only be one match on Boxing Day this year,

00:38as Manchester United host Newcastle United at 8pm,

00:42with a further nine matches to be played over the weekend.

00:45There were eight games played last season and a full round of ten fixtures,

00:49the last time it fell on a Friday in 2014.

00:52So what has happened to the beloved Boxing Day fixture?

00:56Well, it comes down to three challenges that the Premier League faces.

01:00One, Europe.

01:02Since last season, the European club competitions have each expanded by four teams

01:07to 36 in a new Swiss model format.

01:11Not to forget the introduction of the UEFA Conference League in 2021.

01:15This has resulted in a revision of the domestic calendar,

01:19according to the Premier League.

01:20Two, scheduling.

01:22This expansion means the Premier League only has 33 weekends

01:26to play all of their 380 matches, less time than ever before.

01:31And they're obliged to fill those weekends with games

01:33as part of their agreement with broadcasters.

01:36The Premier League said,

01:37With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls.

01:42And as Boxing Day comes on a Friday, it left it with little flexibility.

01:47Three, rest.

01:49This has long been an issue during the festive period for top division clubs,

01:53with the European competition group stages in full swing,

01:56a flurry of up to seven Premier League games in a month

01:59and the FA Cup third round just over the horizon.

02:03Players and managers, including Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola,

02:06have previously criticised the lack of downtime in the football calendar at Christmas.

02:11The Premier League said,

02:12Special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played.

02:16This will allow greater time for players to recover,

02:19ensuring that no club plays within 60 hours of another match.

02:23The result?

02:24Only one Premier League Boxing Day fixture.

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