It is one of the most enduring festive pop songs of all time, but the creation of Wham!'s classic 'Last Christmas' has a surprising link to a routine Sunday football match. New details have emerged about the exact game playing on television when George Michael was struck by inspiration, leading him to compose the iconic melody in his childhood bedroom.
The Match That Sparked a Christmas Anthem
According to bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, the pair were killing time on a Sunday in early 1984 at George Michael's family home. The only live football on television in those days, 'The Big Match', was on in the background. While Ridgeley showed a passing interest, Michael's attention was clearly elsewhere. Suddenly, he jumped up and ran upstairs to his bedroom, where he had a four-track tape recorder.
Not long after, he returned, insisting Ridgeley listen to what he had created. "It was a remarkable moment," Ridgeley later recalled. "And it's such a remarkable song. So perfect at evoking and conveying the atmosphere of Christmas." George Michael confirmed he wrote the song in February 1984.
Assuming the match was broadcast live, as Ridgeley's account suggests, historians have pinpointed the likely fixture. The only live Sunday game that month was on ITV on 12 February 1984: Luton Town versus Manchester United in the old First Division. The match kicked off at the unusual time of 2.35pm. United ran out 5-0 winners, with Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside among the scorers. Perhaps the first 36 goalless minutes provided the perfect creative boredom for a musical genius.
Christmas League Leaders & European Success
With Arsenal leading the Premier League this festive season, a question arises: is there a correlation between being top at Christmas and winning the Champions League? The answer is intriguing but not definitive.
Of the 70 European Cup or Champions League winners since 1955, 30 were top of their domestic league on Christmas Day. The English clubs to achieve this double are Manchester United in 1967-68 and Liverpool on three occasions: 1980-81, 1983-84, and 2018-19. Notably, Liverpool were European champions but not English champions in two of those three seasons, pipped by Aston Villa and Manchester City respectively.
The flip side is perhaps more fascinating. Some of the greatest European sides had dismal domestic starts. The mighty Bayern Munich team that won three successive European Cups from 1974 were 14th in the Bundesliga at Christmas in 1974-75, eventually finishing 10th. Similarly, Nottingham Forest were 13th on Christmas Day 1979 before retaining the European Cup, and Aston Villa were 17th in 1981-82 before their famous triumph in May.
A Look Back at Christmas Day Fixtures
The tradition of playing football on Christmas Day itself has long faded in the UK, but it persisted longer than many might think. In Scotland, the last scheduled league fixtures were for 25 December 1976, though poor weather and reluctance saw most games moved.
Only two matches went ahead that day: a 2-2 draw between Clydebank and St Mirren, and a 2-1 win for Alloa over Cowdenbeath. The last full set of Christmas Day fixtures in Scotland was in 1971, featuring results like Celtic's 3-2 win over Hearts and Rangers' 1-0 victory at Hibernian.
In England, the final Christmas Day games were played in 1959. Blackburn Rovers beat Blackpool 1-0 in the First Division, while Coventry City defeated Wrexham 5-3 in the Third Division. Plans for a Brentford vs Wimbledon match on Christmas Day 1983 were eventually moved to Christmas Eve.
Festive Gifts in the Dressing Room
What do footballers give each other for Christmas? Often, it's standard fare, but sometimes the presents carry a more pointed message. In 1998, Newcastle United's squad engaged in a particularly barbed Secret Santa.
Italian defender Alessandro Pistone received a sheep's heart, interpreted as a comment on his perceived lack of commitment. Temuri Ketsbaia, who is bald, was gifted a hairbrush. Duncan Ferguson, who served a prison sentence in 1995, was presented with a prison shirt. Pistone later diplomatically called it a joke, part of a series of "really funny presents" exchanged by the squad.
The Knowledge, the Guardian's long-running trivia column, is now on its Christmas break, but will return with more curious questions and obscure answers on 7 January.
