November 2 – Boxing Day football is a tradition like no other in England, a highlight of the English football calendar and a special day of community, mutual support and hope for another year. Only this year it will not be in the Premier League where only one match will take place.
The Premier League has confirmed that Manchester United will host Newcastle United at Old Trafford at 8pm.
The Premier League was quick to shift blame, saying the expansion of European competitions and schedule congestion has reduced the number of weekend windows, but with Boxing Day having been part of English football since the 19th century, it feels like more effort could have been put into the decision-making process with input from fans.
“There are now several challenges to the Premier League fixtures, rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a review of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” the League said. Adding: “With fewer weekends available, fixture scheduling has become increasingly limited.”
Football once belonged to the terraces, but increasingly it is the television studios that are in charge. When the games start to bow to corporate and broadcast rights, you can bet that great sports traditions will be manipulated and repackaged.
For many fans of Premier League clubs, the traditional basis of their existence, Christmas worship has been sacrificed to the Premier League’s disappointing self-interest, proving that in football nothing is sacred to those who rise to power.
The good news for English football fans is that the EFL will be running a full program on Boxing Day, with some grounds likely to allow some space for the Premier League’s jilted fans looking for traditional football authenticity and community.
There is an old expression from advertising agencies: ‘Act global, think local’. There isn’t much local thinking among the Premier League’s wealthy elite.
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