Your Festive Football Fix

With the government confirming that they’ll be no new knee-jerk changes to covid rules and regulations in England ahead of this Christmas weekend, the Boxing Day and holiday games that are yet to be called off look very much, still to be on the cards, subject to any internal issues that clubs may potentially have with fighting off the Omicron virus themselves.

At the minute, that leaves Nottingham Forest’s match with Middlesbrough this Sunday afternoon still ‘on’ so those travelling with tickets to the North-East for a 3pm Kick Off in the Championship at the Riverside will get their festive Forest fix for the first time in two years. Touch wood.

The Reds needing a point to potentially leap into the playoff zone for the first time this season, with sixth placed Stoke City not playing due to their match at Barnsley postponed.

Forest will be without Djed Spence who cannot play against his parent club whilst Joao Carvalho could get a start after a decent cameo off the bench in the win against Hull. Alex Mighten will take a fitness test after coming off with an injury after winning a penalty that was scored by Lewis Grabban on Saturday.

In League Two, Mansfield’s match at home to Hartlepool United is still so far ‘on’. Striker Rhys Oates has hit the headlines in recent weeks after a slow start to Stags life since moving to Field Mill from this weekend’s opposition in the summer and has scored four goals in his last six games, another one or two won’t surely go amiss for fans at the One Call on Sunday.

Oates has stated “joining Mansfield was a good move to make” after leaving Hartlepool where he “still keeps in touch with a few of the lads there”.

Last season’s National League Christmas and New Year’s matches at Kings Lynn Town were both postponed (as well as their FA Cup game) so Notts County will be hoping this time they can ensure that fate doesn’t happen again.

Notts travel to the Walks on Sunday with tickets on sale until midday Christmas Eve.

A win could take seventh spot Notts to within a point of leaders Chesterfield but with just three points separating the top six, any of those above the Magpies (bar Halifax who’s match with Grimsby has been called off) could be leading the promotion race table come Monday morning.

Speaking of Monday, In the Northern Premier League Basford United’s trip to Mickleover will go ahead at 3pm whilst in the NPL East Division Worksop take on Cleethorpes Town at 1:30pm.

In the NPL Midlands, Carlton Town travel to Spalding United in a 3pm Kick Off whilst on Tuesday afternoon in the Northern Counties East League, AFC Mansfield host Sherwood Colliery in a thrilling local derby tie at the Forest Town Arena. Also in the NCEL Division One, there are three local derby games involving five Notts based clubs. Ollerton host Retford, Rainworth travel to Clipstone whilst Teversal welcome their Derbyshire neighbours Shirebrook to the Grange.

Please take a look at our full list of festive games below.

Sunday 26th December 2021 (Boxing Day)

EFL Championship: Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest (3pm)
EFL League Two: Mansfield Town v Hartlepool United (3pm)
National League: Kings Lynn Town v Notts County (3pm)

Monday 27th December 2021

Northern Premier League: Mickleover v Basford United (3pm)
Northern Premier League East Division: Worksop Town v Cleethorpes Town (1:30pm)
Northern Premier League Midlands Division: Spalding United v Carlton Town (3pm)

Tuesday 28th December 2021

Northern Counties East League: AFC Mansfield v Sherwood Colliery (3pm)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Clipstone v Rainworth Miners Welfare (3pm)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Ollerton Town v Retford FC (3pm)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Teversal v Shirebrook Town (3pm)
United Counties Premier Division North: Eastwood Community v Heanor Town (3pm)
United Counties Premier Division North: Selston v Newark (3pm)
United Counties Division One: Dunkirk v Radford (3pm)
United Counties Division One: Graham Street Prims v Clifton All Whites (3pm)
United Counties Division One: Hucknall Town v Kimberley Miners Welfare (3pm)
United Counties Division One: West Bridgford v Gedling Miners Welfare (3pm)

Wednesday 29th December 2021

EFL League Two: Harrogate Town v Mansfield Town (7:45pm)

Thursday 30th December 2021

EFL Championship: Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield Town (7:45pm)

Saturday 1st January 2022 (New Years’ Day)

EFL League Two: Rochdale v Mansfield Town (3pm)
Northern Premier League: Basford United v Grantham Town (3pm)
Northern Premier League East Division: Frickley Athletic v Worksop Town (3pm)
Northern Premier League Midlands Division: Carlton Town v Daventry Town (3pm)
Northern Counties East League: Sherwood Colliery v Goole AFC (3pm)

Sunday 2nd January 2021

National League: Notts County v Wrexham (2pm)

Monday 3rd January 2022

EFL Championship: Nottingham Forest v Barnsley (3pm)
Northern Counties East League: AFC Mansfield v Maltby Main (3pm)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Harrogate Railway Athletic v Ollerton Town
Northern Counties East League Division One: Retford FC v Selby Town (3pm)
United Counties Premier Division North: Heanor Town v Selston (3pm)
United Counties Premier Division North: Long Eaton United v Eastwood Community (3pm)
United Counties Premier Division North: Newark v Melton Town (3pm)
United Counties Division One: Clifton All Whites v Dunkirk (3pm)
United Counties Division One: Kimberley Miners Welfare v Belper United (3pm)

Tuesday 4th January 2022

Northern Counties East League Division One: Rainworth Miners Welfare v Teversal (7:45pm)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Rossington Main v Clipstone (7:45pm)
United Counties Division One: Gedling Miners Welfare v Hucknall Town (7:45pm)
United Counties Division One: Radford v West Bridgford (7:45pm)