When was the last time a Premier League game was held on Christmas Eve? Wolves vs Chelsea fixture news, history

The Premier League has made the controversial decision to schedule the fixture between Wolves and Chelsea for a lunchtime slot on Christmas Eve 2023.

The decision has been widely criticised by supporters of both clubs, with many unhappy at having to travel at a time of the year that's already busy for people, with family get-togethers and Christmas meals, with public transport often disrupted too.

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) slammed the decision to schedule the game for a 1 p.m. GMT kickoff on Christmas Eve as "totally unacceptable", with the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) adding that it was "shocking scheduling" by the Premier League.

But when was the last time such a game took place on Christmas Eve? The Sporting News explores the tradition in English football of matches around the festive period and the furore around this decision.

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Unless the Premier League performs a U-turn to bow to the pressure of fan groups, it looks like we'll have the first such game on Christmas Eve since 1995. Leeds United beat Manchester United 3-1 in that game.

There was almost a game between Arsenal and Liverpool on Christmas Eve in 2017, before the idea was scrapped. The Liverpool fans' Spirit of Shankly group was in fierce opposition, asking why "Sky Sports wants to steal Christmas".

Games in the lead-up to Christmas have long been a staple of the English football calendar, as well as the usual Boxing Day feast of action, but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have usually been free of action in the past 30 years, since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

Chelsea’s trip to Wolves in December will be played on Christmas Eve, the first time a Premier League fixture is played