We all remember Christmas for many reasons – some people have particular traditions that they partake in, others travel, while there is a considerable following – especially in the UK, that looks forward to the Boxing Day football fixtures.
Usually for fans, it is a great trip to watch their team play during holiday season, or spending it in the pub with friends seeing it on television.
However, many decades ago, football games were played on Christmas Day and 1937 is one particular year that stands out in the archives, though probably an occasion that not many are aware of.
Headline Festive Fixture Forgotten Due To Weather
In what was somewhat of a spectacle – a London derby no less, Stamford Bridge hosted a First Division match between Chelsea and Charlton Athletic, though this game made the headlines for altogether different and comical circumstances.
The game stood at 1-1 and the Charlton goalkeeper, Sam Bartram remembered seeing fewer figures as his team attacked midway through the second-half as fog started to set in.
While the referee had halted the game on a number of occasions, the match was finally abandoned, though, unbeknown to Bartram, who stood in goal for a further 15 minutes, until a policeman found – still between the posts, telling him the game had been called off.
Bartram returned to the changing rooms, greeted by laughter with his teammates already showered and dressed.
While this has gone down as one of the funnier stories in football history, it isn’t one that has been widely reported over the last few decades and was almost forgotten.
Bartram An Icon Of The English Game
Lax, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
During the 1930s, Bartram had become one of the most notable goalkeepers in the sport and still, to this day holds the Charlton record for number of appearances – 623 for the Addicks.
Playing for the club for the best part of 20 years, until 1956, Bartram went on to win the FA Cup with Charlton in 1947, though despite being one of the best goalkeepers of his era, he never won a cap for England.
Indeed, such was his legacy for Charlton, a statue was built outside their stadium, while the Sam Bartram Memorial Cup is an event that is fondly remembered by fans.
The incident for many revealed shining traits about Bartram’s character – particularly his dedication and also his humour, in the way that he shrugged off the incident jovially.
Bad Weather A Major Factor In Football Games
In the decades that followed, we have seen many football matches being abandoned due to bad weather – especially fog – even now in the days of floodlights, which fail to pierce the thick fog.
On occasions, games have restarted after substantial delays, though more often than not, these have been abandoned and replayed. In many instances, football games that experience heavy fog are usually in coastal areas, with this coming in off the sea or ocean, however, it is not unheard of for this to happen in land. Especially on high terrain which can be conducive to low clouds.
Snow, hail and torrential rain has also caused football matches to be called off – particularly in countries where adverse weather is common. Obviously, now there is technology in place to make sure that all involved in the game are alerted in plenty of time, while health and safety has moved on considerably.
