RALEIGH, N.C. - Soccer fans say the day after Christmas is the best day to share their love of the sport with their friends.
- Eighteen of the English Premier League's 20 teams had games on Thursday
- Fans say Boxing Day often features crosstown rivalry games
- Boxing Day also is a big day for charitable giving
Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is the biggest day of the year for fans of the English Premier League. The soccer league had nine matchups scheduled for Thursday, many of them crosstown rivalry games. This meant all but two of the league's teams had games scheduled.
London native Julian Burton says he's watched more soccer since he came to the United States 13 years ago than when he lived in England due to strict television blackout rules there. Burton and his friend, Parker Dill, an American, cheered for rival teams on Thursday, Burton for Crystal Palace and Dill for West Ham United.
“Traditionally, Crystal Palace always plays a London side,” Burton said. “We don't play a northern side. That's what's great about it because you usually know people that support the other team.”
The Boxing Day matches come at the end of a big year for soccer in North Carolina. The NC Courage won its second straight national title in October, just months after several of the team's members propelled Team USA to a fourth Women's World Cup championship. Earlier this month, Major League Soccer announced Charlotte will host a professional men's team beginning in 2021.
Boxing Day gets its name from the tradition of English aristocrats giving gifts to their servants and to the poor on the day after Christmas. Burton says charity remains a big part of the day today. He says many of the English soccer clubs will donate their proceeds from the day's matches to charities of their choice.