Can you hear the Christmas approaching? For many people this time of the year is all about holidays, Christmas Day dinner, gifts, and cheer. But for football fans, it means one more thing. Boxing Day football! While in many European countries football is put on hold during the Christmas holidays, Brits pump it up and have the Boxing Day football schedule full to the brim.
But when did the day that was all about giving presents and a day off to your employees turn into an important date on the football calendar? The story goes back to 1860, when Sheffield F.C. and Hallam F.C. played the first derby match in the history of football. Even though this match, which Sheffield F.C. won 2 – 0, was the first football match played on Boxing Day, the idea didn’t turn into a tradition until the 1950s.
But before that, the First World War happened, and during that time, the legendary Christmas truce. There are written records of an impromptu football match taking place between the British and German soldiers on Christmas Day of 1914.
When the war ended, football matches between local clubs became a regular occurrence. With time, Christmas became more family-oriented, so games wouldn’t be conducted on 25 December. The last Christmas Day football match took place in 1957. Since then, Boxing Day has become the main football event of the holidays.
What to Watch on Boxing Day
All top four English leagues have fixtures on Boxing Day this year. This year will be no different. Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two all have packed schedules, so all fans have something to look forward to.
Premier League Boxing Day Schedule
| Home Team | Away Team | Location |
| Manchester City | Everton | Etihad Stadium, Manchester |
| Bournemouth | Crystal Palace | Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth |
| Chelsea | Fulham | Stamford Bridge, London |
| Newcastle | Aston Villa | St. James’ Park, Newcastle |
| Nottingham Forest | Tottenham Hotspur | The City Ground, Nottingham |
| Southampton | West Ham | St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton |
| Wolverhampton Wolves | Manchester United | Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton |
Two of the most anticipated matches of the day involve two Mancunian teams. For the Red Devils, their game against the Wolves will be another test for the newly appointed head coach Ruben Amorim. On the other hand, the Blues will once again have to prove themselves as the current champions in what is expected to be a fierce battle with Everton.
While the current main contender for the championship Liverpool is scheduled to play Leicester the day after Boxing Day, the second favourite in line, Chelsea, will meet Fulham on 26 December. Many football fans are looking forward to this derby hoping for a fiery game.
EFL Championship Boxing Day Schedule
| Home Team | Away Team |
| Blackburn Rovers | Sunderland |
| Bristol City | Luton Town |
| Coventry City | Plymouth Argyle |
| Derby County | West Bromwich Albion |
| Middlesbrough | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Norwich City | Millwall |
| Oxford United | Cardiff City |
| Preston North End | Hull City |
| Sheffield United | Burnley |
| Stoke City | Leeds United |
| Swansea City | Queens Park Rangers |
| Watford | Portsmouth |
League One Boxing Day Schedule
| Home Team | Away Team |
| Birmingham City | Burton Albion |
| Bolton Wanderers | Barnsley |
| Charlton Athletic | Cambridge United |
| Exeter City | Bristol Rovers |
| Huddersfield Town | Stockport County |
| Leyton Orient | Crawley Town |
| Peterborough United | Mansfield Town |
| Reading | Northampton Town |
| Rotherham United | Wigan Athletic |
| Shrewsbury Town | Lincoln City |
| Stevenage | Wycombe Wanderers |
| Wrexham | Blackpool |
League Two Boxing Day Schedule
| Home Team | Away Team |
| AFC Wimbledon | Swindon Town |
| Bradford City | Port Vale |
| Bromley | Newport County |
| Carlisle United | Morecambe |
| Cheltenham Town | Crewe Alexandra |
| Colchester United | Gillingham |
| Fleetwood Town | Chesterfield |
| Grimsby Town | Harrogate Town |
| MK Dons | Notts County |
| Salford City | Barrow |
| Tranmere Rovers | Accrington Stanley |
| Walsall | Doncaster Rovers |
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