Why is Wolves vs Chelsea being played on Christmas Eve?

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Chelsea in the Premier League at 13:00 (GMT) on Christmas Eve but no one is happy about it.

Chelsea’s Supporters Trust lamented the decision as “outrageous” and “totally unacceptable”. Their counterparts representing Wolves accused the Premier League of “a complete lack of consideration and respect” while the national Football Supporters’ Association wrote the game off as “an unwanted present”.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil delivered a measured response when the final festive fixture list was unveiled at the end of October but Mauricio Pochettino didn’t try to mask his disdain.

“I’m not happy,” the Chelsea manager sulked, pointing out that he would have to spend his 31st wedding anniversary – which falls on 23 December – away from his family in Wolverhampton. When it was suggested that his wife could join him in the Midlands, Pochettino sighed: “I believe I am not going to convince her to come.”

Here’s the reasoning behind a rescheduling that has left both sides cursing bah humbug.

Chelsea’s trip to Molineux was originally scheduled for Saturday 23 December – Pochettino had already made peace with his anniversary being limited to just an evening.

Six other top-flight fixtures will take place on the final Saturday before Christmas, with West Ham United’s visit from Manchester United at 12:30 and Liverpool’s lofty clash with Arsenal at 17:30 the two contests selected for UK broadcast.

The 15:00 (GMT) UK TV blackout that comes into effect every Saturday affords broadcasters little wiggle room. Sky Sports had already picked Wolves vs Chelsea as a TV game and so opted to shift the match to Sunday when games can be aired in the UK at any time.

Crystal Palace play rivals Brighton on Thursday 21 December while Aston Villa host Sheffield United the following night, ensuring that Wolves’ visit from Chelsea could not be moved earlier in the week. Both clubs are back in action on Wednesday 27 December, leaving Christmas Eve as the only available broadcasting slot.

Only one Premier League game has ever been played on Christmas Eve, when Manchester United travelled to a bitterly cold Elland Road in 1995 and fell to a 3-1 defeat.

Gary McAllister scored the opener from the penalty spot and remains the only player in Premier League history to be born on Christmas Day and score in fixtures played on both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

English football is inextricably linked to a furious festive schedule but Christmas Eve has never been a regular staging post in the calendar. Since an organised league system was first put into place in 1888, only 15 seasons have seen any matches played on 24 December. In sharp contrast, Christmas Day games were a fixture of the schedule until 1960. Boxing Day matches are still played to this day.

If Wolves were to lose to Chelsea on Sunday, it would be the club’s sixth top-flight loss on Christmas Eve – a tally only one other English club, Bolton Wanderers, can match.

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