Remarkable Christmas Eve football stat shows TV impact amid furious Wolves v Chelsea response

The Premier League made a controversial decision to hold a fixture on Christmas Eve this season, bucking a long trend of leaving the sacred festive date fixtureleless. The Premier League bosses are always looking to increase their market share on television, and that led them to follow the lead of American sports by placing a fixture on the day before Christmas this season.

Chelsea and Wolves were the - many would say unlucky - clubs selected to play on Christmas Eve, at Molineux, and it has led to backlash aplenty. Many fans would prefer to spend the day with family, forcing them into a difficult decision, while the players also face another day away from their families, given most clubs already train on Christmas day ahead of the games on Boxing Day or the day after.

The decision was an unexpected one from the Premier League, and the fixture will be the first played on the day before Christmas for 28 years, with the last coming in 1995, when Leeds United beat Manchester United 3-1. That was the only Premier League Christmas Eve game since the competition's formation in 1992.

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust slammed the decision in a statement earlier this week, with a spokesperson saying: "We have held this demonstration to remind the Premier League and its broadcasters that without matchgoing supporters, football is nothing - Christmas Eve Football Can Get Stuffed!

“The Premier League CEO, Richard Masters, must ensure his words on supporter engagement are not hollow and must guarantee that there is meaningful dialogue and consultation with supporters on key issues relating to our clubs. Our message is clear - stop treating matchgoing supporters with total disrespect or risk stadiums becoming lifeless, soulless, and without passion.”

On the back of the backlash, the Premier League have confirmed they will not have a Christmas Eve fixture next year, though they cite fixture congestion management as the reason instead of said backlash. A league statement read: "In keeping with previous commitments made to clubs to address the congested schedule across Christmas and New Year, arrangements will be made to allow more rest time over three of the festive match rounds, with no club playing within 60 hours of another match. There will be no fixture on 24 December 2024."