December 26th is always special for English football. After all, this is when the famous “Boxing Day” takes place every year. But what does this date mean? Why can the day after Christmas be considered a landmark in domestic commerce and football? the Throw! Answer below.
Boxing Day is a banking and religious holiday that has been celebrated in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Territories (British Commonwealth of Nations) since the end of the 19th century. The date is part of the Christmas holidays and has become a free day for people to rest and enjoy themselves after the Christmas celebrations.
Over time, Boxing Day became a selling occasion for stores as they sought to deplete inventory and entice shoppers to exchange unwanted gifts or coupons. Thus, December 26 has become one of the busiest trading days in the countries where the holiday is celebrated.
Boxing Day’s relationship with football and the English Premier League
In football, the tradition of playing games on December 26 precedes an isolated episode from 1860 – eleven years before the holiday began on British soil and 28 years before the creation of the English Premier League. That year, Sheffield FC and Hallam FC played Breton sport’s first match at a competitive level in history, with the former winning 2–0.
However, it was not until the 20th century that clubs realized the opportunity to hold full matches on Boxing Day, as fans do not work on this day. The tradition actually started in 1957, and has been cemented, since then, the English Premier League, the most valuable league in the world, has been scheduling matches on December 26th.
Arsenal wrap up Boxing Day 2022/23 (Picture: Ian Kington/AFP)
In the past, audiences for Boxing Day matches were limited to stadium capacity, but now they have grown exponentially with television broadcasts and the Internet. Therefore, today is an opportunity for the Premier League to get closer to fans from all over the world.
Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day 2022:
9:30 am – Brentford – Tottenham
12 noon: Crystal Palace vs Fulham
12 noon – Everton x Wolverhampton
12- Leicester – Newcastle
12 noon – Southampton x Brighton
2.30pm – Aston Villa – Liverpool
5 pm – Arsenal x West Ham
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