Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' Inspired by 1984 Football Match and Insights on Football Christmas Traditions
Wham! were allegedly inspired to write their iconic song 'Last Christmas' while watching a live football match between Luton Town and Manchester United on Sunday 12 February 1984, a Division One match which ended 0-5 and was broadcast on ITV with a 2:35pm kickoff.
George Michael wrote the melody for 'Last Christmas' in February 1984 in his childhood bedroom as Andrew Ridgeley and their parents watched the football match downstairs; Ridgeley recalled that the 'Big Match' was the only live football on TV at the time.
Although 'Last Christmas' did not reach Christmas No.1 in 1984, being blocked by Band Aid’s 'Do They Know It’s Christmas', the song eventually topped the Christmas chart in 2023.
In football tradition, there have been 70 European Cup/Champions League winners and among them, 30 were top of their domestic league at Christmas. English sides such as Manchester United led at Christmas in the 1967-68 season, and Liverpool held the top spot at Christmas in 1980-81, 1983-84, and 2018-19.
Exceptions include Aston Villa in 1980-81 and Manchester City in 2018-19, who achieved European glory in those seasons despite not leading England's league at Christmas.
A detailed year-by-year list records European champions who were top at Christmas, spanning from Real Madrid in 1956-57 through to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024-25 season.
Regarding football played on Christmas Day, the last full Christmas Day fixtures in England were held in 1959, while Scotland’s last full Christmas Day set was in 1971, although some games were played on nearby days.
These insights combine football history with cultural moments, highlighting the unique inspiration behind a timeless Christmas song and the evolution of Christmas football traditions.
