Boxing day, a legendary tradition of English football

It is surely the only world-famous football-related holiday. the boxing day started off as a Christian celebration that now fills English football pitches. On December 26 in England, fans of round balls rush to the stadiums of their favorite team as well as the surrounding shopping arcades. Attendance records are broken during this period. Return on the significant events of this mythical day.

The economic boom which followed the end of the Second World War allowed boxing day to take its current form, more marketing and turned towards financial profit. Initially, the boxing day was December 25 but for economic and social reasons it was moved to the next day.

Four matches that make the Boxing day legend

The first Boxing Day meeting

This match pitted the oldest club in the world Sheffield Fc against neighbor Hallam Fc organized by the city of Derby. The Rules Derby has not taken place since October 9, 2012 and Sheffield’s victory 3-2. Even for the first Premier League season
(1888-1889), the calendar included December 26.

December 26, 1970: Derby county 4-4 Manchester United

A match where the snow made it impossible to distinguish the dividing lines, bringing together George Best and Bobby Charlton in a sold-out Baseball Ground, had to be a legendary meeting. And it was the case with 8 goals, the dismissal of Wilf Mcguiness and the return on the bench of the Red Devils of Sir Matt Busby after the meeting. He will remain forever etched in the memories of supporters of both clubs but also fans of English football.

 » The slaughter « 

It was December 26, 1979, a derby between two lifelong rivals: Sheffield Wednesday versus Sheffield United. 4-0 victory for the partners of Terry Curran, legendary legend of Wednesday. This overwhelming success has erected the legend of the song of the supporters of the victors: « the boxing day massacre ». This song is still sung today by aficionados of the « Owls » of Wednesday to lodge the supporters of the « Blades » in a good-natured atmosphere.

Ryan Giggs or the rebellious donkey

At the end of 1991, Manchester United beat Oldham by a score of 6 to 3. Despite a well-stocked scoreboard, what makes the legend of this meeting are the mockery of the « Latics » towards a legend of United: Ryan giggs. Indeed, the first balls of this young Welsh who was then only 17 years old were catastrophic. It was one of his first professional games. It is likely that the principal concerned still remembers it today. Indeed, the opposing supporters imitated the cry of the donkey to mock his disastrous performance. The Welsh legend caught up at the end of the match, scoring the 6th goal of the match, the first in a legendary career.

A Boxing Day 2020 that is losing its flavor

With the increase in ticket prices in England, affordable for the better-off and tourists, less for the working classes, the atmosphere in English stadiums is losing its charm. In the 80s, the hooligans, despite their outbursts of violence, created an atmosphere, particularly for boxing day, which makes us nostalgic today.

Of course, there are still the Kop supporters to vibrate the traditional songs of the clubs. However, 2020 would be satisfied with a tourist or bourgeois public ensuring a calmer atmosphere, or quite simply, a public. Indeed, with an attendance gauge set at 2,000 spectators because of the Covid, boxing day will lose its flavor. For the lucky ones who will be present at the stadium, social distancing will be required which will prevent the usual scenes of jubilation (even with 2000 supporters), especially following an important victory. Some matches have been scheduled behind closed doors such as Manchester United-Leeds on December 20, a poster between two long-awaited historic clubs this season.

The supporters are therefore already looking forward to the next year, without masks or social distancing, beer in one hand and one fish & chips in the other. We will then see the return of these English supporters disguised as Santa Claus!