Boxing Day football bonanza inspires love and hate

Teams like Liverpool and Manchester City will have played six times in three weeks by January 11

London: While the rest of Europe hibernates over the Christmas holiday period, England indulges in football excess, with Boxing Day the highlight of this secular and often maligned tradition.

With barely any time to digest the Christmas turkey, teams come out the next day to play as part of a series of fixtures running into the first days of 2016.

Teams like Liverpool and Manchester City will have played six times in three weeks by January 11, giving rise to simmering complaints from coaches and players.

Managers mutter about the strain on players, and players grumble about being torn away from families gathered for what should be an annual bout of gift-giving, overeating and beverage excesses.

But fans adore the tradition of the year-end sporting extravaganza, which since 1871 has peaked on Boxing Day.

According to one definition, the day was named after the “Christmas box” of gifts given to workers by employers.

Now the date is synonymous with sports: cricket, fox hunting, horse racing, rugby, but most of all, football.

Football fans can thank Sheffield and Hallam, the world’s oldest and second-oldest football clubs, for starting the tradition with a December 26 match back in 1860.

More than 150 years later, the magic still works.

The favourite song of Sheffield Wednesday supporters refers to the “Boxing Day Massacre” of 1979, when rivals Sheffield United were routed 4-0 in a muddy field in front of 49,309 spectators, a record turnout for a third division match.

For some, the Boxing Day sportfest is a day for recovery after drinking and eating too much and an escape from forced banter between seldom-seen and often bickering relatives.

For others, the matches are the only game of the year — the football equivalent of midnight mass for infrequent churchgoers, with whole families heading to the pews of the football stadium.

“There is so much in the diaries and the newspapers about men in particular finding Christmas difficult, because they are not used to spending such a long time with their family,” said Swansea University’s Martin Johnes, a football historian.

Boxing day is a way to “get out of the house, have a break from the family, clear your head slightly”, he added.

In many families, the holidays are based on the football calendar.

“In my own family, whether we go to my parents or my wife’s parents partly depends on the fixtures lists... I’ve got an understanding wife,” Johnes said.

Boxing Day matches are a must-watch; surprises are common and matches often entertaining.

In 1963, 66 goals were scored in the first division and Ipswich Town received a 10-1 drubbing at the hands of Fulham.

Losing on Boxing Day can be especially tough.

Former Liverpool coach Brendan Rogers still remembers how, after a defeat to Stoke in 2012, he got home to a house full of guests in Christmas mode.

“I went straight upstairs to my room and didn’t come out.”

Football derbies rise in prominence on Boxing Day due to limited holiday transport, with the intense rivalry between local teams often adding extra spice.

The lucrative Premier League cashes in on the extra exposure as European contests take a break.

“This is a special time of year for supporters, when the whole world is watching the Premier League. It’s tough for us as players, but you have to embrace it,” Arsenal’s Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky told the BBC’s Match of the Day programme last year.

Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal is more strident in his criticism of holiday season fixtures.

“There is no winter break and I think that is the most evil thing of this culture,” he said in October.

“It is not good for English football. It is not good for the clubs or the national team. England haven’t won anything for how many years? Because all the players are exhausted at the end of the season.”

Year after year, the pressure rises.

In response to the complaints, some point out that matches were played on both Christmas and Boxing Day in 1950s England and into the mid-1970s in Scotland.

A third division club, Brentford, tried in 1983 to hold a Christmas Day match at Wimbledon at 11am in what a spokesman said was a bid “to revive the old tradition of husbands going to football on Christmas Day while the wives cook the turkey”.

The plan triggered an outcry, and the match was advanced to December 24, when Wimbledon won 4-3 in front of 6,689 spectators.

Johnes added: “Fans are attached to Boxing Day football because it is part of what makes Christmas Christmas.”

England's Boxing Day soccer bonanza inspires love and hate

LONDON —

While the rest of Europe hibernates over the Christmas holiday period, England indulges in an orgy of soccer, with Boxing Day the highlight of this secular and often maligned tradition.

With barely any time to digest the Christmas turkey, teams come out the next day to play as part of a series fixtures running into the first days of 2016.

Teams like Liverpool and Manchester City will have played six times in three weeks by January 11, giving rise to simmering complaints from coaches and players.

Managers mutter about the strain on players, and players grumble about being torn away from families gathered for what should be an annual bout of gift-giving, over-eating and alcoholic excesses.

But fans adore the tradition of the year-end sporting extravaganza, which since 1871 has peaked on Boxing Day.

According to one definition, the day was named after the “Christmas box” of gifts given to workers by employers.

Now the date is synonymous with sports: cricket, fox hunting, horse racing, rugby, but most of all, soccer.

Fans can thank Sheffield and Hallam, the world’s oldest and second-oldest soccer clubs, for starting the tradition with a December 26 match back in 1860.

More than 150 years later, the magic still works.

The favorite song of Sheffield Wednesday supporters refers to the “Boxing Day Massacre” of 1979, when rivals Sheffield United were routed 4-0 in a muddy field in front of 49,309 spectators, a record turnout for a third division match.

For some, the Boxing Day sportfest is a day for recovery after drinking and eating too much and an escape from forced banter between seldom-seen and often bickering relatives.

For others, the matches are the only game of the year—the soccer equivalent of midnight mass for infrequent churchgoers, with whole families heading to the pews of the stadium.

“There is so much in the diaries and the newspapers about men in particular finding Christmas difficult, because they are not used to spending such a long time with their family,” said Swansea University’s Martin Johnes, a soccer historian.

Boxing day is a way to “get out of the house, have a break from the family, clear your head slightly”, he added.

In many families, the holidays are based on the soccer calendar.

“In my own family, whether we go to my parents or my wife’s parents partly depends on the fixtures lists… I’ve got an understanding wife,” Johnes said.

Boxing Day matches are a must-watch; surprises are common and matches often entertaining.

In 1963, 66 goals were scored in the first division and Ipswich Town received a 10-1 drubbing at the hands of Fulham.

Losing on Boxing Day can be especially tough.

Former Liverpool coach Brendan Rogers still remembers how, after a defeat to Stoke in 2012, he got home to a house full of guests in Christmas mode.

“I went straight upstairs to my room and didn’t come out.”

Soccer derbies rise in prominence on Boxing Day due to limited holiday transport, with the intense rivalry between local teams often adding extra spice.

The lucrative Premier League cashes in on the extra exposure as European contests take a break.

“This is a special time of year for supporters, when the whole world is watching the Premier League. It’s tough for us as players, but you have to embrace it,” Arsenal’s Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky told the BBC’s Match of the Day program last year.

Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal is more strident in his criticism of holiday season fixtures.

“There is no winter break and I think that is the most evil thing of this culture,” he said in October.

“It is not good for English football. It is not good for the clubs or the national team. England haven’t won anything for how many years? Because all the players are exhausted at the end of the season.”

Year after year, the pressure rises.

In response to the complaints, some point out that matches were played on both Christmas and Boxing Day in 1950s England and into the mid-1970s in Scotland.

A third division club, Brentford, tried in 1983 to hold a Christmas Day match at Wimbledon at 11 a.m. in what a spokesman said was a bid “to revive the old tradition of husbands going to football on Christmas Day while the wives cook the turkey.”

The plan triggered an outcry, and the match was advanced to December 24, when Wimbledon won 4-3 in front of 6,689 spectators.

Johnes added: “Fans are attached to Boxing Day football because it is part of what makes Christmas Christmas.”

Netherlands fail to qualify for Euro 2016 leaving big questions over future

Three thoughts from the Netherlands' 3-2 loss against the Czech Republic in a qualifier for the 2016 European Championship. 

1. The Dutch bow out ignominiously

It was an exit perfectly in tune with the skittish, error-strewn nature of the Netherlands' qualifying campaign.

While the team's qualification chances ultimately depended on the result of Turkey's match against Iceland (which Turkey won), Danny Blind's side might have been expected to at least keep its side of an unlikely bargain against a workmanlike but unspectacular Czech Republic team that had already booked its place in France. Yet the nature of the Netherlands' implosion on Tuesday made even that quickly seem like a pipe dream. It was little surprise to those who have seen one of Europe's superpowers self-destruct throughout their 10 Group A fixtures.

Only a win and a Turkish defeat to Iceland would do, and the Netherlands appeared suitably energised in the opening minutes. They are a "momentum" side to the extent that, if Anwar El Ghazi had not driven against goalkeeper Petr Cech's legs after just 40 seconds -- the Ajax winger should have scored -- the 90 minutes in Amsterdam could have been a very different story. Ten minutes in, Wesley Sneijder lifted over an equally good opportunity after El Ghazi's cross ran to him, and from there, the belief seemed to seep away.

There was a warning sign a minute after Sneijder's miss when a snatched clearance from Virgil van Dijk, the Southampton defender who was making his second senior international appearance, resulted in Vladimir Darida firing a snap shot off target. Nerves became more frayed when goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet, also winning his second cap, dropped a corner at the feet of Theodor Gebre Selassie, who wasted the chance. So it was little surprise when Van Dijk, stepping out too high and tight as the ball was played to Tomas Necid, was taken out by the forward's flick and Jiri Skalak passed to the unmarked Pavel Kaderabek, who finished well.

Wesley Sneijder and his Netherlands teammates missed several good chances early that could have given the team some momentum.

It said something that the second goal seemed a matter of time, and it came 35 minutes in when a simple Gebre Selassie throw-in found Josef Sural, who beat Van Dijk far too easily in the inside-left channel and drilled in low.

Marek Suchy's red card just before the break, a fair decision after Memphis Depay had seized onto a Wesley Sneijder pass and was fouled, gave a glimmer of hope that a comeback might be on if some momentum could be seized back. But the renewed optimism quickly abated and in the early stages of the second period it was the 10-man Czechs who would threaten again. Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum was forced to prevent Vaclav Darida from scoring after the Dutch centre-backs had been split.

Robin Van Persie's own goal, inadvertently heading past Zoet midway through the second period, led to an exodus from sections of the Amsterdam Arena and their two consolations from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and, at the right end, Van Persie met little genuine enthusiasm. The odds had been stacked against the Netherlands -- and Turkey's win meant whatever the Dutch did was ultimately academic -- but this was an ignominious, embarrassing end.

2. Netherlands may struggle to replace old guard

As signposts for a changing of the guard go, Van Persie's own goal was a powerful one. His goal later on was of no consequence: This was a humiliation for player and country, and an even more pointed one given that the Fenerbahce forward had again started on the bench.

We may never see Van Persie at a major tournament again, and we may never see Wesley Sneijder, almost invisible here save for a flurry of activity before half-time, either. The same goes for Arjen Robben, who was absent Tuesday with the injury he suffered in the first half of their defeat against Iceland on Sept. 3 -- a blow that may well go down as a turning point in the Netherlands' fortunes in this campaign.

Robin Van Persie may have played his final game with the Netherlands in the loss to the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

In truth, the die was cast earlier than that, and there will be inevitable questions now over how the Netherlands move forward. Only four of the team that started here began their first Group A fixture, a 2-1 defeat in Prague, and while the Dutch are not short of players, there is a genuine concern that the quality is not what it was.

A return to their traditional 4-3-3 under Danny Blind has seemed forced, and this evening there simply were not the players to work within it -- a trio of Sneijder, Daley Blind and Wijnaldum offering little snap or balance. Defensively, the team is a shambles and there is little sign of a genuine leader coming through; Van Dijk, on this evidence, is certainly not that man.

Further forward, you feel that much is being invested in Depay, but there is no evidence yet that he can match the careers of his seniors and it might be that jettisoning too many of the older players in one go risks several years in the wilderness. It was depressing, though, to see the Netherlands resort to launching balls at Huntelaar throughout this match.

Any kind of style of identity appears to have deserted them, and the question now will be whether manager Blind is seen as the man to turn things around. In a recent interview, the Austria manager Marcel Koller said that an international coach needs between two and two and a half years before his ideas get through, Blind has had just three and a half months. Still, this could be seen as a blot on the CV that is impossible to remove easily.

3. Czechs show the value of a well-drilled unit

This is not a vintage Czech Republic side. There are no stars like Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller and Karel Poborsky, and the injured Tomas Rosicky will not be around for much longer either, but it is a highly effective team. It should not be taken as a slight that this seems to be enough at this level currently.

Teams such as Iceland, Northern Ireland and Albania may have lesser standing than the 1996 runners-up, but the trend is clear: If you can mould a coherent, effective, willing unit of decent players together in a short time, then you have a genuine chance these days. That is exactly what manager Pavel Vrba has done with a methodical team that has few stars but has deserved to win Group A. If they do have a big name for the future it is perhaps Kaderabek, the Hoffenheim right-back, who attacked with abandon in the first half and finished wonderfully to break the deadlock and shatter any Dutch confidence.

The Czech Republic's Pavel Kaderabek had an impressive performance and will be one to keep an eye on in Euro 2016.

Kaderabek was his country's standout player in the summer's UEFA Under-21 championship and should excel on the senior stage in France. Gebre Selassie, nominally a right-back but deployed on the left to fine effect, is another high-class operator, and Darida, an intelligent schemer whose promptings behind Necid were prominent here, would also look comfortable in most company. Cech's calming influence in goal cannot be underestimated, too. But the most impressive facet of Vrba's team is its simple, orderly football, looking to play the ball on the deck but knowing when to opt for something more artisanal, too.

Vrba removed Necid at the break, upon Suchy's sending off, and introduced the defender Vaclav Prochazka. It did nothing to abate the Czechs' sense of authority, on or off the ball. The abiding feeling as the clock ticked down in Amsterdam was that teams like this stand a better chance than ever against more decorated opponents whose minds might not be as focused on the job.

FULL Arsenal injury update – Our list could be down to three by next week!

All Arsenal fans will surely admit that our injury situation so far this season is at least twice as good as at this point in the last campaign, but we still have a few on the sidelines. We have already heard thatMikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini should be in the squad to face Watford next weekend, and Arsene Wenger is also hopeful that Laurent Koscielny will ready in time to face Bayern Munich just a few days later.

Wenger announced back in September that striker Danny Welbeck was predicted to return around Christmas, and you can guarantee that Arsene Wenger will use the immortal words “like a new signing” when he comes back during the January transfer window! The player himself has now been quoted on SkySports as being more or less on target for that period. Welbeck said: “It’s difficult to put an exact date on it, around the New Year. After I had the operation I was in a leg brace for about four weeks, which wasn’t easy. I had to do a lot of machine work, about six hours a day.

“Sleeping in a leg brace isn’t good. At night it’s not comfortable; it was the first time I slept on my back in years. It’s good to finally be out of the brace now and walking.

“It feels like I’m getting that little bit closer to getting back out on the pitch.”

“It’s frustrating being on the sidelines and watching in – you feel kind of helpless. But you just have to keep motivated.

“The appetite’s there, you just want to get back out on the pitch and show what you can do. So it’s difficult but you’ve got to see the positive side of things at times.

“Obviously there’s some days when you just want to be back out there playing, but it’s a process and something that I’ve learnt to deal with in time.”

When Danny finally does return to fitness at least he should be fresh for the rest of the campaign as we get down to the nitty-gritty of the closing stages. Another returnee at about the same time should be Jack Wilshere, who was so cruelly taken out just before the Community Shield after working so hard to be superfit to begin the season.

If Danny is back in the New Year, then we should also expect Tomas Rosicky to return also as Wenger told us on the same day that he announced Welbeck’s surgery, “It’s similar to Welbeck, it’s a similar surgery.”

So, right now we have six players out injured, but by the time we face Bayern that number could be down to three. And as we near the end of the international break it would seem most Arsenal players have come out unscathed. But there is one possible massive problem in that Alexis Sanchez’s Chile team face Peru tonight, and we just have to pray that he doesn’t come back with a worse groin strain than he left with….

Arsene Wenger issues injury update as Arsenal head to Watford with six casualties

ARSENE WENGER has issued an injury update ahead of Arsenal's trip to Watford on Saturday.

The Gunners head to Vicarage Road looking to build on back-to-back Premier League wins over Leicester and Manchester United.

“Koscielny has a slight chance to be back on Saturday”

Arsene Wenger

But they could be without key defender Laurent Koscielny and midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini.

Koscielny limped out of the Champions League defeat to Olympiakos last month with a hamstring injury and hasn't played since.

"Koscielny has a slight chance to be back on Saturday," Wenger said. "He has a definite test tomorrow."

TOUCH-AND-GO: Koscielny is a doubt for Arsenal

DUO DOUBT: Arteta and Flamini have struggled for fitness

On Arteta and Flamini, he added: "[They] are back in full training. We need to see how they are and how confident they are, but we can’t rule it out.

"From the internationals we only have positive news.

CROCKED: Wilshere and Welbeck are still a way off returning

COMEBACK: Rosicky is eyeing a return in January

"We are still waiting for Campbell, Alexis and Ospina to return, but they all texted back to say they are OK, so we just have to see if they were objective in their assessment."

Wenger will definitely be without Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck for the Watford clash.

Wilshere is still recovering from an operation on a broken leg, while Welbeck and Rosicky are targeting returns from knee problems in the New Year.

Happy Birthday - October 04 - Micky Ward, Tomas Rosicky, Derrick Rose

Throughout a professional boxing career that spanned parts of three decades, “Irish” Micky Ward was a fearless and relentless master of attack.

The ‘Pride of Lowell’ never took a step backward in a boxing ring, relying on a combination of fury and finesse, along with a ceaseless will to win, to carry him to the top of his profession.

Ward treated boxing fans worldwide to numerous classic fights that will forever be replayed in the DVD of the mind. It seems hard to believe that Ward will celebrate his 50th birthday today and that his last pro fight came 12 years ago.

He will forever be etched into boxing history for his incredible trio of fights against Arturo Gatti. When the pair met in Connecticut in 2002, the ninth round of their fight contained more drama, heart and action than some boxers produce in their whole careers. It is one of the true great rounds in boxing.

1955: Jorge Valdano, an Argentine World Cup winner in 1986 and former Real Madrid general manager (60).

1979: Adam Voges, Australian cricketer who is the current captain of Middlesex and Western Australia (36).

1980: Tomas Rosicky, midfielder for Arsenal and the current captain of the Czech Republic (35).

1988: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls guard and first overall draft pick in the 2008 NBA draft (27).

Arsenal injury news: Petr Cech reveals Tomas Rosicky recovering well from knee setback

Petr Cech is confident that Tomas Rosicky will make his way back into the first team after recovering from a knee injury for which he had to be operated on. The midfielder is back in training and is currently working in an individual capacity until he regains the energy to fight for a spot in the first team.

"Thomas is with us every day, but trained individually because he has a programme. Everything goes according to plan, everyone is happy as knee heals. His injuries were not short, it is important that it coaches by itself and everything runs as it should. I think he can be happy," Cech told Czech site iSport.

Rosicky's career has been marred by injuries since joining the club in 2006 from Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder has failed to get a run in the squad for a sustained period which has stunted his development.

The 33-year-old, however, expects to play with Rosicky for Arsenal before the European Championships next year and insists that he is well on his way to recovery and should be with the team soon. "Tomas continues recovering very well, I think everything is going well and the team starts relatively soon," he added.

Meanwhile, Cech is likely to be drafted back into the Arsenal team for the Champions League following an error by David Ospina for Olympiacos's second goal, which led to the Gunners losing the game and now find themselves in big trouble with respect to qualification for the knockout stages. The north London club need to take points home and away against Bayern Munich to give themselves a chance, which given their present form looks a distant possibility.

Cech made a good case for his inclusion with a brilliant performance against Manchester United, where he made a crucial save to deny Anthony Martial moments before the half-time whistle. The former Chelsea man revealed that he had not made separate preparations for the former Monaco man but had looked considered him like other United attackers Rooney and Depay.

"I prepared for all the players just like I do in every match. I did not make a difference between him, Rooney, Depay or Mata and others. It is always good before the game to know what to expect from that player," Cech concluded.