Silent Night For The Premier League? Boxing Day Tradition Under Threat Amid Congested Calendar

‎This year’s traditional Boxing Day feast of Premier League football could be reduced to scraps.

‎With the winter calendar more congested than ever, there might be just one top-flight match played on December 26. Boxing Day falls on a Friday, creating a scheduling headache for league organisers.

‎The expanded Champions League and efforts to protect the FA Cup’s schedule have left limited room for Premier League fixtures.

‎The league must deliver 33 weekends of fixtures as part of its commitment to broadcasters and is struggling to find an alternative weekend to play games, so that at least half of the matches, as tradition dictates, can be moved to Boxing Day.

‎This season, for the first time, all Premier League fixtures not played in the Saturday 3pm blackout are being shown live, with the exception that there is only one broadcast slot reserved for a Friday game.

‎Any choice of a Boxing Day fixture is likely to stir controversy, even if only one game goes ahead, due to the near-total absence of public transport.

‎Although the Premier League had pledged to confirm its TV schedule for December and January by October 15, its fixture list has so far been updated only up to December 22.

‎Meanwhile, the EFL is set to proceed with a full slate of Boxing Day matches.

‎The last time Boxing Day fell on a Friday, in 2014, the Premier League staged a full round of fixtures. Raheem Sterling netted Liverpool’s winner against Burnley, while Wayne Rooney bagged a brace and set up Robin van Persie in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Newcastle.

‎Eight Premier League games were played on Boxing Day last year, five took place in 2023, and seven in 2022.

‎The expectation is that tradition will return in 2026, when Boxing Day falls on a Saturday.

‎However, the expanded Champions League will add league-stage fixtures in January, further tightening the schedule.

‎In addition, the FA Cup’s guaranteed exclusive weekends for the fourth, fifth, and quarter-final rounds will continue to shape the calendar for years to come.