Boxing day derbies

[roydo]

great idea bruce.

though i cant see why you would want to remember the start of ww1 in such a (fun) way. the end of ww1 defo but the start hmmm.

See what you mean, but that match on Christmas day was in the first winter of the war. Never happened again. (See posts re my lads Christmas play). So it would kind of be a symbolic gesture that if two armies at war can park hostilities for one day, perhaps footie fans could.

But I dont know.

 

[fozzy]

See what you mean, but that match on Christmas day was in the first winter of the war. Never happened again. (See posts re my lads Christmas play). So it would kind of be a symbolic gesture that if two armies at war can park hostilities for one day, perhaps footie fans could.

But I dont know.

i know but to me it wouldnt end up symbolic it would be a sky tv fest. and to be honest to be really symbolic they should be played on christmas day with no games on tv.

lets just leave it with the reenactment of the game on the very spot it happend that they plan to do.

 

[roydo]

i know but to me it wouldnt end up symbolic it would be a sky tv fest. and to be honest to be really symbolic they should be played on christmas day with no games on tv.

lets just leave it with the reenactment of the game on the very spot it happend that they plan to do.

Yeah, agree there mate. Still think local derbies on Boxing day are a great idea though.

 

[fozzy]

Yeah, agree there mate. Still think local derbies on Boxing day are a great idea though.

oh yeah all day long for the boxing day derbies.

but that should be a given anyway at the time of year when money is at it tightest.

 

[toffeestillidie]

Can someone provide a source about the football match actually occurring in the first winter?

I am working my way through the book Rites of Spring at the moment (fantastic read for any interested), and while it details reports of the match occurring, the book gives me the impression that it is not historically confirmed to have happened. It says that across the front there were several reported instances of British and German soldiers exchanging small gifts and calling informal ceasefires on Christmas, but no concrete evidence of football matches actually occurring between soldiers.

Or are you all referring to an organized, official match that I don't know about?

 

[dholliday]

Suffice to say with it being 2014 next year there will be a lot of attention given to the WW1 centenary, and no doubt the football match played on Christmas day between the two sides.

Wonder if the FA will do something nice and make the annual boxing day fixtures derby matches whenever possible?

Would we call a temporary truce to rivalry with the other lot if such a thing happened?

I don't think we'd call a truce, but I think both sets of fans would like the idea as a regular event. Reminds me of how I used to spend boxing days with me nana, and she's a red (and sort of the reason why I'm a blue).

 

[noharmdone]

Yeah, this would rule it out. Shame really. Imagine this fixture list.

Liverpool v Everton
Man United v Man City
Tottenham v Arsenal
Chelsea v West Ham
Swansea v Cardiff
Aston Villa v WBA
Newcastle v Sunderland
Fulham v Palace
Hull City v Stoke
Southampton v Norwich

Obviously the last two aren't derbies like, but that would make a boss day of football.

Awful.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Would be a great idea considering the lack of public transport on Boxing Day. Local matches mean less travel

 

[Roztitute]

Suffice to say with it being 2014 next year there will be a lot of attention given to the WW1 centenary, and no doubt the football match played on Christmas day between the two sides.

Wonder if the FA will do something nice and make the annual boxing day fixtures derby matches whenever possible?

Would we call a temporary truce to rivalry with the other lot if such a thing happened?

Of course we wouldn't.

 

[tim cahill]

Xmas can be stressful enough without adding to it!

 

[lmurkder]

Police wouldn't allow it. Theyd be stretched all over the place.

Liverpool manchester derbies on the same day?

If something happened in either city each force couldn't request officers from the other.


Plus the met police would look at those London fixtures and say no way

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Police wouldn't allow it. Theyd be stretched all over the place.

Liverpool manchester derbies on the same day?

If something happened in either city each force couldn't request officers from the other.


Plus the met police would look at those London fixtures and say no way

I've never subscribed to this idea

They used to do these back in the 70's, when hooliganism was much worse than it is now

Most modern football fans don't go to the match for a fight

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Well kind of the point of it would be that hostilities would be shelved for the day in order to enjoy a game of footie with your rival, that being what apparently happened in 1914 and all.

 

[lmurkder]

I've never subscribed to this idea

They used to do these back in the 70's, when hooliganism was much worse than it is now

Most modern football fans don't go to the match for a fight

Taylor report and 1980s banned two teams in the same city both playing at home on the same day.


Plus there is the risk of terrorism too.

Holiday period is a risk period apparently.

You have the risk of terrorists wanting to use an event like that for their own purposes.

Terrorists have several times in the last decade or so planned attacks for boxing day and new year.

Major events like football matches are risk events as it is.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Not really getting into the spirit of the whole peace and goodwill thing huh?