To think Boxing Day is for family and not football?

[Felicityfennel]

So sick of it! Every year, DH and DS want to go to DH’s hometown to watch the Boxing Day game. Plans have to be worked around this and given it’s an 8 hour round trip, it’s pretty much an overnight stay. If we’re with the in-laws for Christmas, fine, crack on. But when we’re in our home town and have other family to see, really?! It also means an early night Christmas Day as they want to be up and out to get to the game on Boxing Day the next morning 😭

It's also possible to enjoy football and not make the rest of your family's Christmas revolve around it every year.

Boxing day football is a thing.
Nobody is making you go to bed early tho. Do your own thing

It wouldn't be every year though, would it?

I think it's pretty obvious that it is intended to be every year, if they are doing it this year when it's a ball ache to get to and would involve an overnight stay. Otherwise they would only do it in years when it is more convenient.

It's bizarre isn't it. A couple of weeks ago someone was complaining about a child's birthday party being on Christmas Eve - which should - naturally - not happen as that is Family Time.

Now you're reaching. But let's say it is every year, so what? There's another 360 odd days in the year when OP can have her Family Time.

A poster on this thread said that OP should make plans for next boxing day that would be too difficult for her husband to get out of so that him and their son can't go to the football. Forced "family time". If a man had said he made plans difficult to get out of on purpose so his wife couldn't go somewhere, everyone would say he's controlling/abusive. This is nuts.

@skippy67 you are so right!! That's on the bingo card!

My husband had never been to a football match until he met me and I dragged him along to one.

The tone deaf comments from people who don't like football are equally tedious.

Not even going to start with "pick another team". It's like the wand choosing the wizard - you don't just "pick another team"

None of which are Christmas, which is clearly important to her.

There is the whole of the rest of the year to have football time. The concept of there being a "football season" is essentially just a pretence that football stops at any point.

Like the wand choosing the wizard is a great analogy given that it comes from a work of fiction for children.

You really are flogging a dead horse.

My husband regularly had to work on Boxing Day. I should have told him to tell his boss to stick it because of family.

I can imagine OP's outraged post on 26th "I banned my DH taking DS to football for family day. Now he's sulking and not being jolly"

I can’t see how there’s any planning to be done.

DH and DS often “do their hobby” (yes it is bloody cycling) on Boxing Day. They get their equipment together and go early. Everyone else stays in bed until they decide to get up.

(Although this year I may go hiking with a group I have joined.)

Your DH and DS need to make sure they have all their stuff together the night before (or perhaps on Christmas Eve). You don’t need to get involved.

Honestly, @MargotBamborough just say you hate football and everything to do with it and go.

I don’t like football, but I don’t begrudge other people their enjoyment of it as you appear to do.

Oh dear. Another one trying to claim that if you enjoy football you're not an adult. It really is laughable.

this years its "your side family" xmas - xmas day you cook and the next day you see your family and maybe JUST MAYBE relax after doing all the wife work leading up to xmas. but now no - husband is away, doesn't want to see your famly, you have to look after the 2 kids on own potentially and deal with disappointed parents on your side.

Not a relaxing day. then he is back to work?

His family xmas year, he is with his parents. Which he is now going to do everyyear and leave you with his PIL for the day with the kids. What joy! how relaxing!

basically he is avoiding your family every year and meaning your elder sons grandparents on one side don't see them, whereas his do every year.

Love Boxing Day Football.

@MargotBamborough you really aren't getting this 'home and away' thing are you? Next year it will be on a different place. That place may be further away but also may be at their local ground. If it's near OP's PIL this year, it likely won't be next. But he hasn't been at all for 4 years, so it's not unreasonable to go this year - I would ask he come back the same day and not stay over though.

@MargotBamborough which team do you support?

Another person who loves the Boxing Day match. It's a great atmosphere and very festive - fresh air, singing, a beer or two, silly hats, loads of kids/families and the result is almost an irrelevance.

There's a huge tradition in this country (at least in England and Scotland) of going to a match on Boxing day - my husband has many a tale of trying to find a fixture to attend north of the border when the weather is shite and his usual team is frozen off.

Just thank your lucky stars that we no longer have the Christmas match on Christmas Day itself.

It’s a father/son tradition I think it’s lovely that they have something to bond over and added bonus you get the day to yourself after the chaos of Christmas Day.

Same!!

We never had "family time" growing up and i don't feel like i missed out....

I've always had horses that needed tending to twice a day, and i LOVE that i still have them so i can get out of tedious extended family gatherings.
I couldn't think of anything worse than lounging around the house either, Christmas or any other time of year.

Let them go to football and you can lounge around OP!

Boxing day isnt "for" anything. Your husband and brother want to watch the football, why is that any less right than "sitting around in pajamas eating chocolate"?

@MargotBamborough tell me you don’t get football without telling me you don’t get football (though that’s clear from everything you’ve written). You can’t just start supporting another team. That’s just not how it works!