The festive period is the time for too much food and drink, being in the company of those closest to you, and sport. Around the most wonderful time of the year, there seems to be more sport on than at any other time, which also means more memes. This year was no different. All four leagues of football in England in full swing. Alongside the Ashes in Australia, the Gallagher Rugby Premiership, and the PDC Darts taking place at Alexandra Palace. There is no better feeling than being sat on the sofa on Boxing Day with your third turkey sandwich of the afternoon, turning on the TV, and having your pick of the sport to watch.
With so much action on display, social media was alight with the usual debate, discussion and disagreement. The quick wit of sporting fans was on hand whenever my timeline was refreshed. Whether that be over people’s misfortune which even they can’t help to find funny, or a mistake made by a professional which causes their ‘supporters’ to turn on them.
Below is a collection of the best that the sporting community had to offer on social media over this festive period.
Boxing Day 1963
For those who are unaware, the games of football on Boxing Day 1963 produced a serious number of goals. There were 66 to be precise, which I’m sure impressed football fans all over. Ever since, the graphic detailing those scores has become a joke among the footballing community, especially on Twitter. Any post which mentions the goal-fest of a day is met with strong reaction, as shown by the tweets below.
It has become a running joke on social media, with people, like the tweeters below, beginning to ‘replicate’ the accounts which post the scores every year:
With Covid forcing many Boxing Day games to be postponed, some wondered about the infamous results if Omicron was around in 1963.
Joe Root’s misfortune
During this festive period, the England Men’s cricket team are competing in the 2021/22 Ashes series. Well, competing is not the right word. England find themselves 3-0 down in the five-match series, meaning the Ashes have been lost. Captain Joe Root has had more than just the defeat to embarrass him, however. During the second test, Root has hit in a ‘compromising’ position, shall we say. See below:
It is impossible not to smile in this situation, with many taking to Twitter to try and show the England captain the funny side.
See it off
The lack of competitive cricket in the Ashes, with Australia completely dominating, may have bored spectators at times. It may have also led to some of the English fans drinking away their sorrows. Well, this viral clip of a cricket fan turning his attention to all four beers he just bought is arguably more entertaining than any of the English cricket on display.
Lando’s present
During all the drama of the 2021 Formula One season, Lando Norris continued to prove his potential whilst being one of the most popular drivers on the grid. However, F1 fans will remember how a first win at the top level of motorsport was snatched from his grasp. His refusal to change to wet weather tyres when the rain began at the Russian Grand Prix meant he lost grip, and lost his first place. One Twitter user therefore believed he had the perfect present for the racing driver:
If only Santa had come early for Lando…
Upside down
One Watford fan was unhappy with his present of an annual, for obvious reasons:
See also: Four sports to try at university