Boxing Day fixtures tend to be classics and we have picked more memorable festive fixtures involving a handful of our Yorkshire sides to look back on.
2002/03
Bradford (Park Avenue) A-A Harrogate Town (NPL Premier Division)
Bradford Park Avenue’s German goalkeeper Lutz Pfannenstiel stopped breathing after a collision against Harrogate Town.
Avenue physio Ray Killick saved his life by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Pfannestiel had collided with on loan Harrogate Town striker Clayton Donaldson – the future York City star – half-an-hour into the fixture which was abandoned by future Premier League referee Jon Moss.
2011/12
Bridlington Town 3-1 Scarborough Athletic
Third-placed Bridlington Town were 3-1 home winners over tenants Scarborough Athletic.
Craig Hogg and Ashley Allanson gave the home side a 2-0 interval lead and Hogg got his second on 55 minutes
Striker Tony Hackworth pulled a goal back for Scarborough on 85 minutes.
Brid were reduced to ten men with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
Substitute Stuart Rice was sent off just sixty seconds into his debut for a challenge on Paddy Miller and Scarborough used their numerical advantage to get a consolation through Hackworth late on.
Pontefract Collieries 2-2 Glasshoughton Welfare
Dean Twibey was Pontefract Collieries’ hero as he scored the last minute equaliser in the top of the table clash with Craig Elliott’s eventual promotion-winners Glasshoughton Welfare.
Two penalties had opened the contest – Carl Fothergill scoring for Welfare while Liam Ormsby converting Pontefract’s,
Paul Sykes’ strike just after the hour mark seemed to have ensured a 2-1 win for the visitors but Twibey popped up two minutes from time to ensure the spoils were shared.
2012/13
Worsbrough Bridge 1-1 Athersley Rec
Jason Dodsworth still wakes up in the middle of the night over Chris White’s late spectacular equaliser which preserved Chris Hilton’s Worsbrough Bridge’s unbeaten home record.
Athersley had been leading against the invincibles after Jason Bentley’s opener in front of 300 people.
White had the last word after finding the top corner with ten minutes go – one you can read about in his Non League Journey.
2015/16
Penistone Church 1-1 AFC Emley
It finished all square in the top six clash between Penistone Church and AFC Emley with Lewis Dickinson’s last gasp equaliser rescuing a point for the home side after Ashley Flynn’s 51st goal of the campaign had given the visitors a 72nd minute lead.