Summary
The last Football League match played on Christmas Day happened 60 years ago, when Blackpool played against Blackburn Rovers. Christmas Day football was once popular but ended due to societal changes, such as increased home entertainment and reduced transport services.
Key Facts
- Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers played the final Football League game on Christmas Day in 1965.
- Christmas Day football began in 1889, when Preston North End played Aston Villa.
- It was a popular tradition because people were off work and used public transport to attend.
- By the 1950s, fewer people attended these games as society focused more on home and family during Christmas.
- New technologies like TV and improvements in home comfort reduced the desire to leave home for football games.
- The introduction of floodlights allowed more midweek games, reducing the need for Christmas Day matches.
- The decline in Christmas Day transport services also contributed to the end of these games.
