Xmas day matches

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

The other day I was asked how long Xmas day fixtures had been around.  I sort of knew they stopped in the late 1950s but had no idea when they started.
A quick bit of research once again showed The Villa helping to show the way.

The first Football League match to be played on Christmas Day was Preston North End versus Aston Villa in 1889. Preston’s 'Invincibles' were the reigning league champions, but Villa had won the previous meeting between England’s top two sides. This was a real Christmas cracker and 9,000 spectators postponed their turkey dinners to see it, making it one of the highest-attended games the fledgling league had seen.

Man of the match was Preston’s Nick Ross, the fearsome defender-turned-forward who terrified opponents by hissing at them through a crooked set of rotten teeth. Ross gave Preston an early lead, but Villa hit back with two goals before half-time. In the second half, Ross hit a long-range equaliser and then claimed his hat-trick with a “lightning shot”. A hard-fought game ended 3-2 to Preston, who went on to win the league for the second season running.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/what-happened-football-christmas-day-lost-history-a-victorian-tradition

[Axl Rose]

Thank you for posting that, mate. Very interesting.

I'd be very interested to see a picture of Preston's hissing centre back. He sounds charming!

[itbrvilla]

https://goo.gl/images/FjiqZ7

[wittonwarrior]

Up to recently there was a kind of da amateur cup tournament for top amateur teams in Northern Ireland   

Also returning to the villa have been told you would play them away chrimbo day and home on Boxing Day with generally the home teams winning

[Damo70]

Older people talk about the days of playing local derby double headers on Christmas day and boxing day. I remember us playing Albion on Christmas day and boxing day with just one stand, about a dozen supporters and just two floodlights.

1979. The year I got Subbuteo. I got the Villa team seperately along with 'World Cup Subbuteo' so 'Albion' were playing in an Argentina kit and the winners got the Jules Rimet trophy.

I have no idea why in 1979 Subbeteo had not updated the trophy in their World Cup edition.

Also, forget Albion's 'Three Degree's, I had the 'eleven degrees'. For some reason the whole Argentinian team appeared to be black.

[villan from luton]

The baggies three degrees were such class players. Laurie Cunningham was superb as was Cyrille and Brendan Batson wasn't as good as Kenny Swain but his pass to Peter Withe I will never forget

[Damo70]

The baggies three degrees were such class players. Laurie Cunningham was superb as was Cyrille and Brendan Batson wasn't as good as Kenny Swain but his pass to Peter Withe I will never forget

Paul Rees' book about them 'The Three Degrees' is great if you are nostalgic for the Midlands football and music scenes in the late seventies.

[wittonwarrior]

They lived off a few games including a 5-3 win at old Trafford.  They still had a number of cloggers. Don't get too romantic over them please

[dave.woodhall]

There's some very thin ice being skated on here.