The History of Boxing Day - An English Soccer Tradition

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In this festive episode of Soccer Time Machine, Zosia and Frania travel through the wild history of Boxing Day football in England—from old Christmas Day matches to modern Premier League Boxing Day fixtures packed with goals, drama, and legends.

Kids and families will learn:

• How Christmas and Boxing Day football started in the late 1800s
• Why English fans used to go to matches right after Christmas dinner
• The unbelievable 66-goal Boxing Day of 1963, including Fulham 10–1 Ipswich Town
• How stars like Thierry Henry (Boxing Day hat-trick for Arsenal) and Harry Kane (record Boxing Day goals for Tottenham) turned holiday matches into must-watch moments

Zosia and Frania explain football history for kids in a fun, easy way—perfect for young soccer players, families, and classrooms who want to understand why Premier League Boxing Day is such a big deal.

At the end of the episode, stick around for Quiz Time, where listeners can test what they’ve learned about Boxing Day scorelines, superstar performances from players like Thierry Henry and Harry Kane, and why holiday fixtures are such a magical part of the beautiful game.

Press play and discover why, in England, the holidays mean family, food… and football on Boxing Day.