The Knowledge: Football, Wham!, and Christmas Traditions
The match referenced is Luton 0-5 Manchester United in Division One on Sunday 12 February 1984, televised live on ITV with a kick-off at 2:35 pm; it was the only live Sunday game in February 1984. George Michael reportedly wrote "Last Christmas" in February 1984 in his childhood bedroom while Andrew Ridgeley and their parents watched football downstairs; Ridgeley recalls The Big Match being on at the time. Notably, "Last Christmas" did not reach Christmas No.1 until 2023, having been blocked in 1984 by Band Aid’s "Do They Know It’s Christmas".
Among European Cup/Champions League winners since the 1955-56 season, 30 out of 70 were top of their domestic league at Christmas. English examples include Manchester United (1967-68) and Liverpool (1980-81, 1983-84, 2018-19). However, in two seasons, the European champions were not top domestically at Christmas: Aston Villa in 1980-81 and Manchester City in 2018-19. As of December 2025, Arsenal were top of the Premier League, raising discussion about whether being top at Christmas correlates with eventual European success.
The article also discusses Christmas Day and holiday fixtures history in Britain, noting Scotland last had a full Christmas Day fixture in 1971 and England in 1959. A 1983 plan for the Brentford–Wimbledon match was moved to Christmas Eve. Additionally, a Christmas gift anecdote from 1998 is shared, where Newcastle players gave humorous gifts to teammates, including a sheep’s heart, a hairbrush, and a prison shirt.
