The final Christmas Day Football League fixture – 60 years on

Both sides entered the game struggling at the wrong end of Division One; Blackburn were 20th and just outside the relegation zone on goal average, with Blackpool just one point and two places better off.

The home team had won just one of their previous eight league games, while Rovers’ form had improved with two wins from three before Bloomfield Road.

The Tangerines also had future England World Cup champion Alan Ball in their side, while Blackburn had Wales international defender Mike England, who would go on to make almost 400 appearances for Tottenham and manage his country for eight years.

A crowd of 20,851 saw Neil Turner give Blackpool the lead only for George Jones to equalize before half-time.

The home team took control in the second period with goals from Bobby Waddell and top scorer Ray Charnley, and Ball added the fourth point.

England then made their mark in the history books by scoring Blackburn’s second goal of the afternoon and the last goal to be scored in the English Football League on Christmas Day.

The two sides were once again due to play a rematch at Ewood Park the following day but it was postponed due to the pitch freezing.

Blackpool eventually pulled themselves out of trouble and finished 13th, but Rovers had a disastrous performance in the new year, winning just three of their remaining 20 games to fall to the bottom of the division and in danger of falling into second place.

This match in 1965 was the last we heard of football on Christmas Day until 1983, when Brentford attempted a Third Division clash with Wimbledon at 11am.

“I see this as a tremendous opportunity for the family to enjoy a clean Christmas morning,” said Brentford chairman Martin Lange at the time.

Fans disagreed and with many complaints the match was postponed until Christmas Eve, with promotion-seeking Wimbledon winning 4-3.