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Why Only One Premier League Game Will Take Place on Boxing Day This Season
The reason there will be only one Premier League game shown on TV on Boxing Day has now been revealed. Boxing Day means different things to different people, but for football fans it is traditionally one of the biggest days in the calendar, with almost every club from League Two through to the topflight in action.
Although the festive period is beginning to wind down, December 26 is usually the perfect excuse to settle in front of the TV and binge on the beautiful game. That won’t be the case this year, however, with just a single televised fixture taking place: an 8pm kickoff at Old Trafford, where Manchester United host Newcastle United.
The match itself should still provide plenty of entertainment, with both sides experiencing patchy form in recent weeks. However, many fans will be left scratching their heads at the wider schedule, as the rest of the Premier League’s fixtures are spread across three days. Traditionally, the day after Christmas has been the busiest football day of the year, making this departure from convention all the more surprising.
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Why Boxing Day Will Feature Just One Premier League Game This Year
Boxing Day won’t feel the same for Premier League fans this year, largely due to the expanded European competitions. The Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League have all increased to 36 teams, significantly squeezing the football calendar. With more midweek fixtures to accommodate, the Premier League has been forced to find alternative slots for its domestic rounds.
That isn’t the only factor, though. According to The Mirror, Boxing Day falling on a Friday also creates broadcast complications. Because the league is committed to a set number of weekend fixtures, most matches were pushed to Saturday and Sunday to preserve the traditional weekend schedule.
In addition, new agreements with clubs guarantee that no team will play two matches within 60 hours during the festive period. Spreading fixtures across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday ensures squads receive the required recovery time between Gameweeks 18 and 19. With FA Cup replays scrapped, the FA Cup has been granted exclusive weekends for the fourth, fifth and quarter-finals rounds as well.
Finally, the Premier League has renewed its commitment to keeping FA Cup ties in exclusive weekend windows to protect the competition’s prestige. This further limits scheduling flexibility in December, leaving little scope to move more matches onto the Boxing Day holiday.
Premier League Releases Statement Amid Fixture Scheduling Changes
A statement from the Premier League said: “The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.
“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995. With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls. The league can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday.”
The Premier League added: “As with previous years, and in keeping with our commitment to clubs, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period. This will allow greater time for players to recover with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match.”
Just because England’s top flight isn’t serving up a festive feast this year doesn’t mean the rest of the country has followed suit. For fans looking to quench their football thirst, Birmingham City face Derby County at 12:30pm, before a tricky choice arrives at 3pm, when Sky Sports viewers can choose from 33 fixtures across the Championship, League One, and League Two.
Hollywood-owned Wrexham then take on Sheffield United at 5:30pm. And for those wanting a break from English football, there are also several Africa Cup of Nations matches to enjoy, with tournament favourites and hosts Morocco in action on Boxing Day as well.
