Premier League at Christmas: “The players can have a few drinks”

SPIEGEL: Mr. Johnes, are you a football fan yourself?

Martin Johnes: Yes I am. I have a season ticket with Swansea City. We are currently playing in the English second division, the championship, for promotion.

SPIEGEL: Then tell us: How does the stadium experience on Boxing Day differ from a normal game day?

Johnes: All spectators are in a good mood, especially if you’ve had your Christmas dinner and a few drinks beforehand. Of course, that depends on the kick-off time. Lots of people dress up. Boxing Day games are more boisterous and peaceful.

SPIEGEL: That was not always so. There are stories that soccer games at Christmas in the Middle Ages were ritualized mass brawls.

Johnes: Yes, there was this loose tradition back then of chasing a ball. Sometimes villages played against each other, sometimes a village played among themselves, sometimes the married men played against the single men. This often happened on Christian holidays. But that had little to do with the football we know today. The number of players was unlimited and there were no real rules. The current form of football developed in the Victorian era, i.e. in the 19th century – just like modern Christmas.

SPIEGEL: You have to explain that.

Johnes: In Britain, the modern Christmas is a Victorian invention. Christmas cards, presents, Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, which, by the way, was imported from Germany – all of these things go back to this time and have spread from the middle class to the other classes. It’s similar with football. The idea of ​​correct rules football took shape in elite and private schools at the end of the 19th century, and from there it has descended the social ladder.

SPIEGEL: Why is it that Christmas and football developed at the same time in the UK?

Johnes: The Victorian era was a time of industrialization and urbanization. People tried to find a balance between tradition and modernity. Christmas is a very traditional festival, but at the same time it is also modern, with gifts and commerce. It’s similar in football. Victorian age football is the evolution of the old game, done in a modern way, with rules and the formation of the Football League in 1888.

SPIEGEL: Commerce also plays a role in football.

Johnes: Exactly, there is another parallel. That is why it used to be played not only on Boxing Day, but also on the first. The clubs wanted as many spectators as possible in the stadiums in order to earn money. And to get that, you had to play as many games as possible on days when people didn’t have to go to work. That was the case at Christmas. Some players did have clauses in their contracts that they didn’t have to play on Christmas Day if they didn’t want to. But only a few players took advantage of this clause. Nobody wanted to lose their place on the team because they preferred to go to the Christmas service.

SPIEGEL: Why is it only played on Boxing Day today, not on the first?

Johnes: In the 1950s, the idea of ​​football on Christmas Day became unpopular. This is because the working class became wealthy. People invested more money in their apartments and houses and could afford more food and drink. Christmas became a celebration that took place at home. In addition, gender roles have changed. Suddenly there was less understanding that the men would just run away for the family on a holiday to go to soccer.

SPIEGEL: That only happens on Boxing Day. Incidentally, it is not only played in the Premier League, but also in the lower English leagues and among the amateurs.

Johnes: I agree. Football on Boxing Day is simply what is left of the long tradition of football on Christmas. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if the TV stations were to start professional games again on Christmas Day at some point.

SPIEGEL: Why is Boxing Day called that anyway? There are different theories.

Johnes: It’s hard to say exactly. But I believe that the name goes back to the tradition of giving poor people or people in simple jobs a present at Christmas – a box. That could be money or a food donation, for example for garbage collectors, newspaper deliverers and greengrocers. Up until the 1960s, they all received a small present as a tip for their work.

SPIEGEL: Nowadays, the English celebrate their difference with football on Boxing Day, while the game rests on the continent.

Johnes: I’m not sure if it’s really about our otherness. Maybe it would if we knew that other countries don’t play at Christmas. But in typical British fashion, we are ignorant of the rest of the world. Many of us don’t even know that football will pause on the continent over Christmas. Boxing Day games are not a British tradition for us, they are just a football tradition.