Could Boxing Day 2024 be anything like the thrilling Boxing Day of 1963?

Boxing Day football: it’s a tradition that stretches back more than a century, and despite the glitz, glamour, and multi-billion-pound broadcasts of the modern game, it still carries that old-school charm. You can almost smell the pies and feel the chill of a crisp December afternoon when you think about those fixtures. Every year, fans across England—stuffed with turkey leftovers and riding a wave of holiday cheer—flock to stadiums or glue themselves to the sofa, eagerly awaiting the chaos that Boxing Day football promises.

But among all the memorable Boxing Days, one stands out: 1963.

It wasn’t just a high-scoring day but a footballing fever dream. Ten matches. Sixty-six goals. Shock results. Teams are tearing up tactical plans and throwing everything forward. It was less football and more pinball, played on muddy pitches with leather balls heavier than bowling stones.

As we edge closer to Boxing Day 2024, there’s a buzz in the air. With the Premier League more unpredictable than ever, and every team boasting attacking firepower and defensive fragilities, the conditions are ripe for chaos. Could this year’s fixtures give us a glimpse—just a fleeting one—of the magic of 1963?

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Boxing Day 1963: When Defence Took the Day Off

Let’s start with a quick recap of that unforgettable day. It wasn’t just the sheer number of goals but the wild, unpredictable nature of the results:

• Fulham 10-1 Ipswich Town – A historic thrashing that left Ipswich in tatters. Graham Leggat scored a hat-trick in just four minutes, a record that stood for over 50 years.
• Blackburn Rovers 8-2 West Ham United – Blackburn ran riot, scoring goals like it was a Sunday league match against hungover dads.
• Liverpool 6-1 Stoke City – Bill Shankly’s men turned Anfield into a playground, tearing through Stoke with ruthless precision.
• Burnley 6-1 Manchester United – Yes, that Manchester United, still under Sir Matt Busby. They were demolished by Burnley in front of a roaring Turf Moor crowd.
• Arsenal 4-4 Wolves – A back-and-forth thriller that had goals, drama, and absolutely no concept of defensive structure.
• Aston Villa 3-3 Nottingham Forest – Another pulsating draw where both sides seemingly took turns abandoning their backlines.

It was relentless, breathless, and completely unhinged. Even the calmer fixtures—like Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Blackpool—felt almost out of place amidst the madness.

For context, the average number of goals per game in the modern Premier League hovers around 2.8. In 1963, Boxing Day delivered a staggering average of 6.6 goals per match. That’s not just chaos; that’s pure footballing anarchy.

Ange Postecoglou has based his entire coaching philosophy on that "results on Boxing Day 1963" meme.

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) December 22, 2024

2024: A Fixture List Built for Fireworks

So, can 2024 even come close to replicating that magic? At first glance, the Boxing Day schedule looks like it was designed by the footballing gods for maximum chaos:

• Manchester City vs. Everton
• Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace
• Chelsea vs. Fulham
• Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa
• Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham Hotspur
• Southampton vs. West Ham United
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester United
• Liverpool vs. Leicester City

These are not quiet, cagey fixtures. These are games brimming with narratives, attacking quality, and fragile defences.

City vs. Everton is an early kickoff where Pep Guardiola’s side could (at least they used to) easily put four or five past their opponents – or Everton could take advantage of the struggling City side and snatch a chaotic result through sheer stubbornness.

Liverpool vs. Leicester City is another mouth-watering prospect. Liverpool’s beautiful attacking football against Leicester’s counter-attacking prowess is the kind of matchup that feels destined to deliver goals.

And then there’s Wolves vs. Manchester United. If history has taught us anything, it’s that these fixtures tend to be wildly unpredictable, with moments of brilliance colliding with defensive lapses.

The Modern Game: Too Calculated for Chaos?

Now, it’s worth asking: can modern football even replicate the sheer abandon of 1963? The game has evolved—tactics are more refined, fitness levels are astronomical, and even the pitches are pristine carpets compared to the mud baths of the 60s.

But the counterpoint is simple: football in 2024 is still wildly unpredictable. Teams press high, play risky passes from the back, and rely heavily on individual brilliance in attack. We’ve seen 4-4 draws and 6-3 batterings in the last year alone. The ingredients are still there—it just takes the right mix of exhaustion, festive distraction, and, let’s face it, slightly overfed players to create the perfect storm.

The Spirit of Boxing Day Lives On

While it’s unlikely we’ll see another 10-1 or 8-2 scoreline, the spirit of Boxing Day football remains as vibrant as ever. There’s something about this particular date on the calendar that makes teams throw caution to the wind. Maybe it’s the holiday cheer. Maybe it’s the packed stadiums. Maybe it’s just the footballing gods having a laugh.

One thing’s for sure: as we settle down with leftover turkey sandwiches and an ill-advised third glass of mulled wine, we’ll be watching. Hoping. Waiting for another day like 1963—a day where football forgot the script, and chaos reigned supreme.

So, could Boxing Day 2024 deliver? Probably not in the exact same way. But it’s football. And on this day of all days, anything feels possible.

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By Nicky Helfgott – NickyHelfgott1 on X (Twitter)

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