Boxing Day’s connection with sports is undeniable, but did you know that it dates back to 1860? Additionally, despite the name, it wasn’t boxing but football that first established the tradition of sporting events on Christmas Day and December 26th each year.
Although a major boxing match on Boxing Day in 1908 would play a significant role as one of the major sports events to take place on this date.
Since 1860, the notion of sport on Boxing Day has continued to grow. Nowadays, many sporting events are scheduled to take place on 26th December each year, or once every few years.
Furthermore, you can enjoy plenty of betting on sporting events on Boxing Day. Sites like bet365 Sport are always open to take wagers on events taking place on the day.
With that in mind, let us look back on some of the key sporting events that helped establish Boxing Day as one of the biggest days for sport in the UK.
And it all begins with arguably, the most important sporting contest ever played.
How Boxing Day Became Synonymous With Sports – Key Events
1860 – The First-Ever Football Match
On Boxing Day 1860, Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest football club, hosted Hallam FC, the second-oldest, in a historic local derby. This match marked the first-ever football game played between two different football clubs.
Previously, both teams had only played internal matches with squads formed from their own players. Teams would be decided by selecting one team from players with odd-numbered birthdates and those with even, or other arbitrary factors.
This game, therefore, marks not just the start of Boxing Day and sports but the whole notion of football as a contest between two opposing clubs.
Sheffield emerged victorious in that first-ever contest with a 2-0 win, but more importantly, the foundation was laid for what would become the biggest sport in the world today and a Boxing Day tradition.
1888 – Boxing Day Fixtures in the Football League Begin
When the Football League was established, matches on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day quickly became some of the biggest fixtures of the season. The first Boxing Day league game occurred in 1888-89 when Preston North End defeated Derby County 5-0.
That result almost assured Preston of the first-ever league title and the popularity of the games on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with huge crowds in attendance, did not go unnoticed in the formative years of the Football League.
For decades thereafter, playing on Christmas and Boxing Day was the norm. However, by the 1950s, the physical demands of playing on consecutive days, coupled with long travel distances, led to the gradual elimination of Christmas Day matches.
Boxing Day games, however, remained a staple and continue to be a highlight in both the Premier League and Football League calendars.
Boxing Day 1963 – Goals Galore
One of the most memorable Boxing Day set of fixtures occurred in 1963, when an astonishing 66 goals were scored across 10 First Division (now Premier League) matches:
- Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Bolton
- Liverpool 6-1 Stoke City
- Fulham 10-1 Ipswich Town
- Wolves 3-3 Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest 3-3 Sheffield United
- Blackpool 1-5 Chelsea
- Burnley 6-1 Manchester United
- West Brom 4-4 Tottenham
- West Ham 2-8 Blackburn Rovers
- Leicester City 2-0 Everton
Across all Football League games that day, 157 goals were scored in 39 matches. The only goalless draw was between Crewe Alexandra and Peterborough.
1908 – Jack Johnson’s Historic Heavyweight Boxing Victory
Boxing Day also carries historical significance in the world of boxing. On December 26, 1908, Jack Johnson made history in Australia by becoming the first black heavyweight world champion. He defeated Canadian Tommy Burns with a dominant performance that remains one of the most celebrated moments in boxing history.
Johnson’s win resonated beyond the boxing ring. It helped bring down racial divisions and was one of the foundation events that saw sports open up to multiple ethnicities and races, especially at a time when most sporting events were the preserve of the middle-class white male.
The Galveston Giant was the Heavyweight champion for 7 years from 1908 to 1915 and boxed for well over 33 years.
1937 The King George VI Chase at Kempton Park
Another iconic Boxing Day tradition is horse racing at Kempton Park, which hosts the prestigious King George VI Chase. The inaugural race took place in 1937, won by Southern Hero, although the event was initially held in February.
After World War II, the race was rescheduled to Boxing Day in 1947 and has since become a centrepiece of the winter racing calendar.
The race has been won by legendary horses such as Arkle, Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid, Kauto Star, Long Run, and Thistlecrack. In 2023, Hewick added its name to this illustrious list of winners when winning the race at odds of 20/1.
1980 – The Boxing Day Melbourne Test Match
Prior to 1980, there had been a number of Boxing Day test matches held in Australia, including a Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales played as far back as 1865.
Games were held in an ad-hoc fashion thereafter, including a 1950-51 Ashes Test match against England. However, the expansion of the 1974-75 Ashes series to six test matches meant that in order to fit the schedule, the Third Test in Melbourne would start on Boxing Day.
That was the start of the modern tradition, although it was not ratified by the Australian Cricket Board until 1980.
However, the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is now a firm part of the sporting calendar in Australia. The game, which is between Australia and usually a major test nation touring the country in the Australian summer, usually draws huge crowds.
Every four years, the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is an Ashes Test match against England and this is arguably the biggest of the tests held on Boxing Day.
Since the 1974-75 Ashes series, of the 13 Boxing Day Ashes Test matches played at the MCG, England have won five and Australia have won eight.
So as you can see, Boxing Day has a long and historic tradition of being a day for big sporting events and 2024 and beyond will be exactly the same!
