CANARIES TAKE ON THE SEAGULLS

Football competitions were suspended or modified during the war years and on Christmas Day 1940 a friendly match between Norwich and Brighton and Hove Albion was played to raise morale of the Anglian folk.

The Albion only had five players to call on, so en route they recruited friends and on arrival, Norwich reserves lent them players to make up the numbers. It was desperate times but the match help raise the spirits of a 1,419 crowd. Not quite sure what the Albion team had been on the day before (or on the day) but they lost 18-0. Still it was only a friendly and much fun as had.

The Football League fixtures secretary managed to arrange official double headers at one point, playing games on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The scores as you will see in 1963 suggested that not all clubs were as sober as others! I was thinking there were some respectable "local derbies" arranged for the festive day, but not so for Chelsea or Blackburn, who  appeared to show no signs of coach lag. Entertaining though.

This eventually stopped but even today, our clubs are expected to play twice in three days, with no consideration for a "Winter Break".

Here is a short history of sport fixtures over the festive season, courtesy of the Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/dec/25/boxing-day-sport