There is set to be just one Premier League match played on Boxing Day this year.
Were now in December, so excitement for Christmas is building, but for football fans, it is the day after which usually provides the main event.
Why there is only one Premier League game on Boxing Day this year
On 26 December, there will be just one match played in Englands top tier: Manchester United vs Newcastle United, slated for an 8pm start.
An interesting fixture, no doubt, but nothing compared to last seasons eight matches, with kick-offs at 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm and 8pm.
Thankfully, this year is set to be an exception rather than a new normal, with the Premier League blaming a calendar congested by expanded European tournaments, and Boxing Day falling on a Friday.
The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season impacting an important tradition in English football, the Premier League said in a statement in October.
There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions.
This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.
With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day as the date falls on a Saturday.
It is, in FourFourTwos opinion, a relief that the league wants to protect what they term themselves an 'important tradition in English football.'
There will still be a full slate of Boxing Day action in the Championship, League One and League Two, perhaps a chance to spotlight some of those divisions, but it will not be the same without a full line-up of games from the top tier.
Football fans will only need to wait an extra day this year, however, with seven Premier League games slated for 27 December.
TOPICS
