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A history of festive football in the UK

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 We love festive football The festive period is one of the most cherished times in the football calendar for fans across the United Kingdom.  Author - Liam C A throwback to a classic Boxing Day encounter at Old Trafford While many sports wind down for a winter break or a period of rest, football thrives, with packed schedules offering an array of fixtures. It’s a tradition steeped in history, filled with drama, and laden with nostalgia that connects generations of supporters. We'll explore how festive football became such an integral part of the beautiful game in Britain.  The origins of Christmas football The roots of festive football date back to the late 19th century, shortly after the formation of the Football League in 1888. During this era, Christmas and Boxing Day matches became a fixture in the footballing calendar. With industrialisation transforming the country, football offered working-class communities an escape from their gruelling daily lives, and the ho...

West Brom start new era with a draw

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Sheffield United 1 - 1 West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion secured their first point since Carlos Corberán's departure on Christmas Eve, courtesy of Karlan Grant’s late first-half equaliser against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Author - Peter Grainger Sheffield United initially took the lead through homegrown talent Andre Brooks, who netted a beautifully crafted first goal for the club. Despite the draw, the injury-hit Blades returned to the top of the Championship, at least temporarily, ahead of Leeds United’s late kick-off at Derby. However, just as in their 2-2 stalemate at The Hawthorns three weeks earlier, Sheffield United’s hopes of victory were dashed by another deflected goal involving Tom Fellows. For the managerless Baggies, the result capped off a mixed 2024. They end the year in eighth place, 13 points adrift of the top spot, having led the league back in mid-September. This was their 12th draw in 24 league games, following a four-match streak of two win...

Celtic extend lead at top of the table

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Celtic 4 - 0 Motherwell Celtic maintained their composure despite a shaky start to secure a commanding 4-0 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. Author - Sean M Following a frustrating draw at Dundee United on Sunday, the league leaders took time to find their rhythm. The breakthrough came just before the half-time whistle when a collision between Aston Oxborough and Hyunjun Yang earned Celtic a penalty. Arne Engels coolly converted, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner as the Motherwell goalkeeper dived the wrong way. Celtic had the better chances in the first half, with Daizen Maeda’s effort blocked by Oxborough. The Motherwell keeper also had a nervy moment when he nearly turned the ball into his own net, but managed to clear it with the help of his defence. Early in the second half, Celtic survived a scare when Tony Watt inadvertently blocked Tawanda Maswanhise’s shot on Kasper Schmeichel ’s goalline, deflecting it behind. The hosts doubled their lead so...

Scottish Premiership: All the Boxing Day action

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Despite reduced crowds, there were plenty of goals on an action-packed Boxing Day in the Scottish Premiership. St Johnstone 1 - 3 Celtic Celtic emerged from a "chaotic couple of days" to inflict St Johnstone's eighth consecutive defeat. Two goals from Liel Abada's first-half double had the visitors in total command until Chris Kane halved the deficit. Nir Bitton eventually put the result beyond doubt when he scored a late third to send Celtic into the winter break six points adrift of leaders Rangers who won later in the day. One Celtic fan told us: "It was a solid performance. We need to keep winning and who knows where the season will finish?" ⏰ Unique Angle ⚽️⚽️ Abada ⚽️ Bitton pic.twitter.com/hmdLlpfaKn — Celtic TV (@CelticTV) December 27, 2021 Rangers 2 - 0 St Mirren Scott Wright scored an opening header before Alfredo Morelos slammed in a first-half second at Ibrox. Rangers failed to add to their advantage after the interval but were never un...

Frank Lampard's Coventry thrash Wayne Rooney's Plymouth

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Coventry City 4 - 0 Plymouth Argyle On Boxing Day, Plymouth Argyle endured yet another heavy away defeat in the Championship, as Wayne Rooney lost his first managerial clash against former England teammate Frank Lampard.  Lampard’s Coventry City dominated the injury-hit Argyle, scoring all their goals before the break. Author - Craig H  A bad day for Plymouth but their fans still created a fantastic atmosphere at Coventry. eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com [image or embed] — SuperNewsAffiliate ( @supernewsaffiliate.bsky.social ) 27 December 2024 at 21:37 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto opened the scoring early on, before a recalled Josh Eccles doubled the lead 20 minutes in. Coventry then put the game out of reach with two quickfire goals just before half-time. In-form Ephron Mason-Clark netted his fourth goal in six games since Lampard’s arrival, while Eccles added his second of the match – and tripled his season tally – to round off the first-half rout. This marked Lampard’s third win...

Rowett starts life at Oxford United with a win

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Oxford United 3 - 2 Cardiff City Gary Rowett made an ideal start as Oxford United manager, guiding his side to a crucial 3-2 victory over relegation rivals Cardiff City at the Kassam Stadium.  Author - Peter Grainger This dramatic Boxing Day clash saw former Cardiff players Mark Harris and Ciaron Brown haunt their old club, as Oxford moved out of the Championship relegation zone while deepening Cardiff's survival woes. A closer look at what happened The match began tentatively, with both sides showing the nerves of a relegation six-pointer. Cardiff looked the more dominant early on, with Chris Willock’s deflected shot hitting the crossbar and Yakou Meite failing to capitalise on the rebound. Yet despite enjoying more possession, the visitors lacked the cutting edge to break through. Oxford punished Cardiff’s inefficiency when their first real chance of the game fell to Mark Harris. The former Bluebird latched onto Przemyslaw Placheta’s precise cross and slotted home from clo...

PL News: 2024/2025 fixtures announced

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The fixtures for the 2024/2025 Premier League season have been announced What's happening on the opening weekend? Newly promoted Ipswich Town will host Liverpool, while champions Manchester City will travel to Chelsea for the opening weekend of the new Premier League season. Ipswich, returning to the top flight after a 22-year absence, will play on Saturday, 17 August. Their last Premier League match was a 5-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on the final day of the 2001-02 season. Their relegation came just a year after they surprisingly finished fifth in the top flight. Manchester City will begin their title defence at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 18 August. This represents a great opportunity for Chelsea to show how much they have improved. The season starts with Manchester United hosting Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday, 16 August. The weekend before the Premier League starts, United will face City in the Community Shield at Wembley.  Fulham: 23/24 Season Review (eurosuperfootb...

Manchester United: 23/24 Season Review

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Let's explore Manchester United's 2023/2024 season. It was a campaign full of drama. There was a lot of controversy throughout, but it finished with glory as they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.  After being eliminated from the EFL Cup in the fourth round by the previous season's finalists, Newcastle United, they also experienced their worst performance in the Champions League group stage. They then finished in 8th position, their lowest ever place in the Premier League era.  We will now experience some of those key reports and stories from the season. The season started with a 1-0 win over Wolves. In this match, Raphael Varane secured the decisive goal with just 14 minutes remaining, propelling Manchester United to a somewhat lucky victory. It wasn't a great performance though and perhaps a sign of things to come. A few weeks later, they lost 3 - 1 at home to Brighton. After this match, we spoke to Liam, a United Season Ticket holder. He said: ...

Premier League: United's youngsters shine

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Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham United This could prove to be an important day and win for Manchester United.  Despite West Ham starting well, Rasmus Hojlund eventually put Man United 1-0 up in the middle of the first half, continuing his excellent run in the Premier League with four goals in his last four games, giving the Red Devils a crucial lead. Casemiro played a huge role in this goal. Man United fans will wondering how much much of an impact he'll have during the rest of the season. Jay Dee on X: "Man United lead 1-0. I'll have the match report for @ESFootballNews at full time https://t.co/af7bfGF8Kd" / X (twitter.com) Ten Hag's side had numerous chances in the first half, but it was only after the break that they doubled the lead.  This time, Garnacho made a slick move inside and got a bit of luck with a deflection from his shot. Garnacho then bagged a third goal after a strong run from substitute Scott McTominay, just six minutes before the end of ...

Premier League: Arsenal were ruthless against Burnley

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Burnley 0 - 5 Arsenal Following Liverpool's win in the early game against Brentford, The Gunners knew they had to win this match and they duly obliged.  Following their 6-0 victory at West Ham last week , Arsenal were soon among the goals again, with captain Martin Odegaard opening the scoring after four minutes with a precise strike into the bottom corner following Gabriel Martinelli's pass. Bukayo Saka converted from the penalty spot to double the lead after Lorenz Assignon fouled Leandro Trossard in the box. Saka secured his second goal just after the restart as Arsenal maintained the pressure, seizing on a clever pass from Odegaard, cutting inside, and firing a shot into the roof of the net. Havertz's scuffed effort was blocked in the box, but Trossard was alert to curl in his third goal in as many league games. Jakub Kiwior's long throw down the line then found an unmarked Havertz, who slipped in behind the defence and drilled past home goalkeeper James Traffor...

League Two: Harrogate halt Doncaster momentum

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Harrogate Town 2 - 0 Doncaster Rovers Harrogate halted Doncaster’s bid to extend their lead at the top of League Two, as goals from Ellis Taylor and Josh March secured a home victory. The defeat means Doncaster , Harrogate's Yorkshire rivals, have yet to beat their opponents in any of their five league encounters. This is despite Harrogate entering the match on the back of three consecutive losses without scoring. It took Harrogate 27 minutes to break the deadlock when Taylor scored his second senior goal with a precise header from James Daly’s cross. They extended their lead just before half-time when Jasper Moon launched the ball upfield. March raced past a static Doncaster defence and managed to divert Jay McGrath’s last-ditch challenge past goalkeeper Ted Sharman-Lowe. Doncaster made a series of substitutions in the second half in an attempt to get back into the game, but aside from a deflected long-range shot from McGrath, they failed to trouble Harrogate’s keeper, James B...

Ruud and Vardy inspire Leicester

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Leicester City 3 - 1 West Ham United Jamie Vardy played a key role in giving Ruud van Nistelrooy a dream debut as Leicester City's new manager, while heaping more pressure on Julen Lopetegui at West Ham. Author - Jamie P Vardy found the net just 98 seconds into Van Nistelrooy's first game in charge, with Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka adding further goals to secure a vital win for the Foxes. The victory lifted Leicester to 15th in the Premier League, leaving them just two points behind the struggling Hammers. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the hosts, as goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was called upon to produce several outstanding saves to keep West Ham at bay. Niclas Füllkrug headed in a late consolation goal for the visitors during stoppage time, but the result leaves Lopetegui under mounting pressure. With just three wins from their last 12 league matches, frustration among Hammers fans was evident as they directed their anger towards the manager. Super News...

A bad Boxing Day for Manchester United

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Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 - 0 Manchester United Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes saw red for the third time this season, as Wolves maintained their perfect start under new manager Vítor Pereira with a 2-0 win over the Red Devils. Author - Olivia T Fernandes was sent off just two minutes into the second half after receiving a second yellow card. This follows earlier dismissals against Tottenham and Porto, adding to what has been a frustrating campaign for the United skipper. Was this a significant moment in the match? Wolves wasted no time making their numerical advantage count. Eleven minutes later, Matheus Cunha delivered a moment of déjà vu for United fans, scoring directly from a corner—just as Tottenham’s Son Heung-min had done a week earlier. Cunha’s delivery floated over André Onana’s reach in a packed six-yard box, exposing United’s continued struggles to defend set-pieces. The game was put to bed deep into added time. With United desperately searching for an equali...

EFL: Another twist in the promotion race

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Leicester City 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Jeremy Sarmiento scored a late equaliser against Championship leaders Leicester City at the King Power Stadium and guided his Ipswich team back into the coveted automatic promotion spots. Initially, Leicester seemed on the verge of extending their lead by 10 points , courtesy of an own goal by Leif Davis in the first half. The second half had more excitement, featuring Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen's spectacular save from Wes Burns and Kasey McAteer's valiant effort cleared off the line at the other end. When Hermansen could only parry a Massimo Luongo shot in the area, Brighton loanee Sarmiento seized the opportunity, swiftly scoring a shot that eluded the Danish goalkeeper. This marked the second time in four weeks that Ipswich snatched a late draw against Leicester, following a similar feat on Boxing Day at Portman Road. The draw this time elevated Ipswich above Southampton, reclaiming second place, while Leicester maintained a seven-poi...

St Mirren stun Rangers with late winner

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St Mirren 2 - 1 Rangers  Caolan Boyd-Munce’s last-gasp screamer ensured Rangers finished Boxing Day 12 points behind league leaders Celtic. Author - Mark Lee The visitors endured a dismal first half, with Jack Butland clumsily fouling Greg Kiltie, allowing Oisin Smyth to calmly slot the resulting penalty past the former England goalkeeper. Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren impressed with their aggression, intensity, and defensive organisation, but the half-time introductions of Nicolas Raskin and Danilo injected much-needed energy into Rangers’ performance. Brazilian striker Danilo equalised from close range moments after being denied at a similar distance by goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe. However, Philippe Clement’s side couldn’t capitalise, and their hopes of rescuing a point were dashed when substitute Boyd-Munce rifled in a stunning 93rd-minute strike from 20 yards. No title for Rangers in 2025? This defeat halts Rangers’ recent momentum and leaves their faint title hopes hanging b...

Stoke dismiss Pelach after three months in charge

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Stoke City have made a big decision as they head into 2025 They have parted ways with head coach Narcis Pelach just 19 games into his tenure. Author - Lee Poxen Pelach, who replaced Steven Schumacher on 18 September with a three-year deal, managed only three Championship wins, the most recent coming on 6 November. Stoke currently sit 19th in the table. Interesting news. More reaction coming up on https://t.co/CizyD3ifp5 https://t.co/mackj7PU3C — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 29, 2024 The Potters suffered a 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Boxing Day , a match that saw the 36-year-old face criticism for his frequent tactical adjustments. Former Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross will step in as caretaker manager for Sunday’s home fixture against Sunderland, supported by Alex Morris, Dean Whitehead, and Darren Behcet from the backroom staff. Goalkeeper coach Paul Clements and performance analyst Harrison Glew have also left the club. Both Clements and Whitehead joined ...

Manchester City looking to boost Champions League hopes

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Manchester City v West Ham United preview Manchester City kick off their 2025 Premier League campaign with a home fixture against a struggling West Ham United side. Author - Macca The reigning champions have endured a tough spell, winning just one of their previous 13 games across all competitions before last weekend’s trip to the King Power Stadium. However, they managed a much-needed, albeit scrappy, win in the East Midlands, with Savinho playing a starring role.  On paper, a visit from West Ham might seem like a straightforward task for Pep Guardiola’s side, but City’s recent form at the Etihad has been anything but convincing. They’ve managed just one win in their last five home matches and were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Everton in their most recent outing on home soil. As for West Ham, their form had been on the up before a humbling 5-0 defeat to league leaders Liverpool halted their progress. Head coach Julen Lopetegui had been under less pressure in recent weeks,...