General Secretary of the Co-operative Party Joe Fortune warned the decision ignored fans, and demanded the Independent Football regulator ensures this never happens again
Just one Premier League game on Boxing day is a betrayal of fans and stamps on a tradition that brings families together, the Co-Operative party has claimed.
General Secretary of the Co-operative Party Joe Fortune warned the decision left behind those who made it the beautiful game, and demanded the Independent Football regulator (IFR) ensures this never happens again.
In a letter to its chair, David Kogan, Mr Fortune called for action to prevent issues with scheduling, suggested the Premier League do more to boost grassroots football, and pushed for reform of ownership structures.
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He said: “We are told this abandonment of tradition and fan values is due to expanded European club competitions placing pressure on the domestic schedule, clashing with the Premier League’s commitment to televise a set number of matches on weekends.
“This is just another example of the ever-expanding monetisation of football coming above the experience of fans.
“Fans are increasingly priced out of enjoying the game, while ownership of our country’s top teams is dominated by foreign companies or states.
“Football – and indeed all sport – should always be centred around the people who make it so magic, the fans who give up their time and money to a shared experience with their community.
“This decision is completely ignorant to those fans and communities, and has understandably caused outrage.”
The day after Christmas has become an iconic part of the football calendar, with top-flight ties often filling a decent chunk of the day on December 26. This year Boxing Day will see the fewest top-flight games take place since the Second World War. Eight matches were played in 2024 on the same date.
His comments were echoed by Labour MP Anneliese Midgley, who sits on Westminster’s Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
She said: “Boxing Day football has been part of the English game and a family tradition for generations – including in my own.
“Fans are always told football is nothing without them, but decisions like this show how often they’re treated as an afterthought, with kick-off times that don’t work, rising costs and traditions quietly pushed aside. It’s time fans were properly listened to again.”
Responding, an IFR spokesperson said: “Fans are central to the IFR’s mission and our future licensing regime will require clubs to demonstrate meaningful engagement with their fans on key decisions such as stadium moves, club heritage and ticket pricing.
“If standards fall below what the IFR considers adequate and effective engagement, we will work with clubs to bring them back to the required standards and where necessary impose sanctions where clubs are in breach of our regime.”