10 Facts About Boxing Day in England

1. Boxing Day didn’t originate because of football. The day after Christmas, the aristocracy traditionally gave gifts to their servants, hence the name “Boxing Day.”

2. A key feature of Boxing Day football is local derbies, as transportation in England is nearly non-existent during the Christmas holidays.

3. The first Boxing Day match was played in 1860 when Sheffield beat Hallam 2-0.

4. Boxing Day football is iconic; not even World War I could stop it. At one point, German and British soldiers famously played football together in no man’s land.

5. Christmas Day football was played until 1958. West Ham were the kings during those matches, losing only 8 out of 45 games.

6. The most explosive Boxing Day happened in 1963 when teams scored 66 goals in one round of matches.

7. The “Christmas Champion” curse: Teams leading the league at Christmas rarely win the Premier League title, with Liverpool being particularly unlucky.

8. Newcastle is Boxing Day’s worst team. The Magpies have lost 16 matches on this day.

9. Harry Kane is the top Boxing Day scorer with 10 goals. In 2022, he surpassed Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler (9 goals).

10. Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool have won all six Premier League Boxing Day matches with a combined score of 19-1. This is the best record among managers with a 100% Boxing Day win rate – Mauricio Pochettino follows with 5 wins in 5 matches.

Published by Patrick Jane
26.12.2024