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Questions by the Tree
The questions that come up every year when the family gathers and the football is on. Tap a tile to open it.
Did soldiers really play football during the 1914 Christmas Truce?
Yes, in some places. Letters and diaries from British and German soldiers describe informal kickabouts in No Man's Land, though not every sector had a truce or a game. Read the full story.
Who won the Christmas Truce football match?
There was no single official match. One German officer, Johannes Niemann, later recalled a 3–2 German win over Scottish troops, but such memories are hard to verify.
What was the first Boxing Day football match?
Sheffield FC played Hallam FC at Sandygate Road on 26 December 1860, widely recognised as the first match between two separate clubs.
Why is football played on Boxing Day?
It became a bank holiday in 1871 when working families were free, so clubs scheduled local derbies to attract big crowds. More on Boxing Day.
When was the last Christmas Day match in England's top flight?
Blackpool against Blackburn Rovers on 25 December 1965 is remembered as the last top-flight Christmas Day league match in England. More on the 25th.
What is the highest-scoring Boxing Day in English football?
26 December 1963, when ten First Division matches produced 66 goals, including Fulham 10–1 Ipswich Town.
Do other countries play football over Christmas?
Many leagues, including Germany's Bundesliga, take a winter break over Christmas. Holiday football is mainly a British and Irish tradition. See the schedule.
Who was Sam Bartram?
The Charlton Athletic goalkeeper who stayed on the pitch in thick fog at Stamford Bridge on Christmas Day 1937, not realising the match had been abandoned.
Is there a memorial to the Christmas Truce football?
Yes. UEFA unveiled a memorial near Ploegsteert, Belgium, in December 2014, and a Football Remembers memorial stands at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.