The Premier League will feature just one match on Boxing Day, breaking a long-standing UK tradition. Manchester United will face Newcastle on December 26, while the other nine fixtures shift to the weekend and Monday to meet broadcaster commitments. Fans and experts worry this erodes a cherished festive ritual.
Boxing Day, observed on December 26, has long been a highlight for English football fans, offering a post-Christmas outing to watch top-flight games amid family gatherings and seasonal cheer. This year, however, the tradition faces disruption, with only Manchester United's home game against Newcastle scheduled for the Friday holiday.
The decision stems from contractual obligations to broadcasters, pushing the remaining matches to December 27, 28, and 29. As explained in the fixture announcement, this adjustment prioritizes TV scheduling over the historic full slate of games. Boxing Day fixtures date back over 140 years, with games absent on the day only five times since World War II—in 1948, 1954, 1965, 1971, and 1976. Previously, clubs often played local derbies on Christmas Day and the return leg on Boxing Day, a practice that ended when Christmas Day matches ceased after 1957.
Football statistician Gavin Buckland, who has collaborated with the BBC and Everton FC, laments the change as a threat to English football's heritage. "There have been games on Boxing Day, barring a period when no games took place on Sundays, for 140 years," Buckland said. "It’s something you look forward to. When the new fixture list comes out, one of the first things Premier League supporters do is see who their club has on Boxing Day. We are creatures of habit, and it’s part of tradition for a lot of families. This news is another reminder of the traditional, cherished aspects of our game being chiselled away in the pursuit of commerce."
Buckland points to 2014, when Boxing Day fell on a Friday and a full round of Premier League games occurred, followed by another on Sunday. He attributes the current shift to a crowded calendar, including potential expansions like the Club World Cup, which squeezes out traditions. "It’s the thin end of the wedge," he added. "If you erode it once, then it can happen again."
Lower tiers offer some solace: The EFL and National League plan Boxing Day games, followed by another round on December 29. For most Premier League supporters, though, the day may mean watching from home rather than attending in person.