The first Christmas Day (Merry Christmas, by the way) match took place in 1889. The Invincibles, Preston North End, beat Aston Villa, when Nick Ross scored 3 at Deepdale for the home team, and 10,000 or more watched.
In 1909 Partick Thistle beat Hibernian on this day in a league match, but Thistle lost defender James Main early doors, who was kicked in the stomach and suffered a ruptured bowel from which he never recovered and died.On Christmas Day in 1917, Dick, Kerr's Ladies, The Munitionettes, played a charity game on Christmas Day at Deepdale (Preston NE) against the Arundel Coulthard's Factory. £488 was raised for charity and the Dick's Ladies won 4-0. See them below. On Boxing Day 1920, the Kerr Ladies beat St Helen's Ladies in front of 53,000, 4-0. Ladies football was here to stay.
In 1936, Hull hosted Wrexham in a Third Division South match. Ambrose Brown was sent off after 20 seconds. Some coach journey!
In 1954 Blackpool were drawn to play Portsmouth away in a league game on Christmas day which involved a 500 mile round trip. There was of course a return match in which Jimmy Armfield made his debut.
1957 was the last time that a full English Football League programme was held on Christmas Day. 38 matches were played and by 1959 public transport had been given the day off, so there was not a lot of movement in and out of stadia and league fixtures declined. People just couldn't travel.
Jimmy Greaves scored a hat trick and ONE in 1957 for Chelsea against Portsmouth in a League game, which Chelsea won 7-4.
Some clubs kept their "Christmas" holiday fixture going and recorded bumper crowds but by December 26th 1959. Blackburn played Blackpool, winning 1-0 in Division 1 in a local derby and Coventry beat Wrexham in Division 3 3-0. One day later, on Boxing Day, Blackpool beat the Rovers 1-0, to even things up.
Some clubs were scheduled to play on Boxing Day as well, but matches were postponed due to frozen pitches. (apparently)!!
December 25th 1965 saw a Lancastrian derby with Blackpool hosting Blackburn Rovers again and winning 4-2. This was the last Christmas Day match ever and over 20,000 watched this spectacle.
The Scottish League kept a full programme going until 1976 but there was a reduced programme after that. Some Scot's clubs kept going with Clydebank drawing with St Mirren and Alloa beating Cowdenbeath.
In 1983 Brentford attempted to play Wimbledon in a Third Division game on Christmas Day but there was a protest and the game was brought forward to the "Eve". There was a protest about this but over 6,600 turned out, the second highest attendance at Griffin Park that season!! Wimbledon won 3-4.
Brentford v Wimbledon
| Games won: | 5 |
| Games drawn: | 3 |
| Games lost: | 4 |
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 1975 | Wimbledon v Brentford | W | 0-2 | FA Cup |
| 22 Aug 1977 | Brentford v Wimbledon | W | 4-1 | League Division Four |
| 07 Jan 1978 | Wimbledon v Brentford | D | 1-1 | League Division Four |
| 22 Sep 1979 | Wimbledon v Brentford | D | 0-0 | League Division Three |
| 09 Feb 1980 | Brentford v Wimbledon | L | 0-1 | League Division Three |
| 12 Apr 1982 | Wimbledon v Brentford | W | 1-2 | League Division Three |
| 26 Apr 1982 | Brentford v Wimbledon | L | 2-3 | League Division Three |
| 30 Aug 1982 | Wimbledon v Brentford | D | 1-1 | League Cup |
| 14 Sep 1982 | Brentford v Wimbledon | W | 2-0 | League Cup |
| 10 Dec 1983 | Brentford v Wimbledon | W | 3-2 | FA Cup |
| 24 Dec 1983 | Brentford v Wimbledon | L | 3-4 | League Div Three |
| 21 Apr 1984 | Wimbledon v Brentford | L | 2-1 | League Division Three |
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