On the night before Christmas things are traditionally supposed to be pretty quiet as far as football games go but the day after Christmas – Boxing Day – is another story entirely.
All 20 EPL teams play a game on Boxing day. One of the reasons for the Football Frenzy is that it is meant to remember the legendary game that was supposed to have been played between German and British soldiers during Christmas time -World War 1
The clearest recollection of the famous match reported to have occurred came from Ernie Williams, a former soldier in the British Army.
He claimed that he had taken part in the match at Wulverghem, in Belgium, during a television interview which was recorded in 1983.
“The ball appeared from somewhere, I don’t know where, but it came from their side — it wasn’t from our side that the ball came,” he said.
“They made up some goals and one fellow went in goal and then it was just a general kickabout. I should think there were about a couple of hundred taking part.
“I had a go at the ball. I was pretty good then, at 19. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was no sort of ill-will between us. There was no referee, and no score, no tally at all.
“It was simply a melee — nothing like the soccer you see on television. The boots we wore were a menace — those great big boots we had on – and in those days the balls were made of leather and they soon got very soggy.”
Highlights of a commemoration game between the British Army Football Team and the German Army Football Team – which the Brits won incidentally.