Get Stuffed - Why are Chelsea playing Wolves on Christmas Eve?

Robin Bairner

• 23 Dec 2023 03:34 CST
• 3 min read

Chelsea will play Wolves in the Premier League at Molineux on Christmas Eve in a move that has sparked anger from fans of both clubs.

The Premier League has faced protests over the timing of the fixture, which takes place on a day that is traditionally seen as a holiday.

Already it has been forced to act to confirm that the experiment of playing a match on 24 December will not be repeated after the ‘Get Stuffed’ campaign.

The Chelsea vs Wolves fixture is the first time in the 21st century that a match has taken place on Christmas Even with the last time a top-flight game was arranged for the date back in 1995.

Blues fans face the prospect of travelling to Wolverhampton on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas while facing a shortage of public transport caused by a combination of strikes and the suspension of regular services over the festive period.

Although Chelsea have offered fans free coach travel, supporters have expressed fury at the timing of the game – but why has the match been timed for this unusual date?

Wolves vs Chelsea: Why the match is on 24 December

Chelsea vs Wolves will be played on Christmas Eve because the fixture was slated for live television broadcast but the only free slot for the encounter came on 24 December. With that in mind, Premier League bosses decided to move the fixture, doubtless hoping that it would receive a positive reaction.

Instead, the backlash has been intense.

“Last season, 15.2 million supporters attended Premier League matches - a new competition record,” Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said in a statement. “Despite these exceptional attendance figures, the Premier League has once again demonstrated that it will put the requirements of the broadcasters ahead of matchgoing supporters.

““We have held this demonstration to remind the Premier League and its broadcasters that without matchgoing supporters, football is nothing - Christmas Eve Football Can Get Stuffed!”