Easter was traditionally a pivotal weekend in English football \u2013 a nerve-jangling time when title races were often won or lost.<\/p>\n
However, Premier League fans will be denied the chance to witness such drama this weekend, with the quarter-finals of the FA Cup taking centre stage.<\/p>\n
One of the most iconic weekends in the fixture calendar has been covertly phased out in the top flight, which is undoubtedly a sad state of affairs.<\/p>\n
Fans hoping to see the Premier League winners crowned during a hectic Easter weekend will now have to wait a few weeks for the outcome.<\/p>\n
The absence of Premier League fixtures over the next few days is a sad state of affairs and an issue that should be addressed as a matter of urgency.<\/p>\n
History shows why Easter matters<\/h3>\n
\u201cEaster, like Christmas, is a trying time for the Association footballer,\u201d the Guardian wrote in 1928.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween (Good Friday) and next Tuesday, nearly every league club will have contested three games and engaged in a series of railway journeys that are sometimes as wearying as a match itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Easter rush is also a much more exciting business than that at Christmas, for it is the crisis in which championships, promotions and relegations are often finally decided.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their words proved prophetic, with Huddersfield Town imploding over the Easter weekend in 1928 to hand Everton the title. The Terriers haven\u2019t won a major trophy since.<\/p>\n
History is littered with other examples of Easter\u2019s importance. Manchester United\u2019s First Division title success in 1956\/57 was fuelled by three victories over the weekend.<\/p>\n
![\"Granit](\"https:\/\/footballtoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bayer-04-leverkusen-v-1-fc-heidenheim-1846-bundesliga-2-300x201.jpg\")
<\/div>\nIn the same season, two victories for Portsmouth over Cardiff City saved their top-flight status and sent the Bluebirds into the second tier.<\/p>\n
Top-flight teams were still playing three games in four days over Easter in 1978\/79, but this was quietly removed from the calendar without much fanfare.<\/p>\n
Intriguingly, the Premier League era has evidenced why reintroducing a packed Easter schedule would add an exciting new dynamic to the top flight.<\/p>\n
Classic encounters highlight the importance of Easter<\/h3>\n
While Easter\u2019s importance has diminished since the Premier League was launched, there have been a handful of examples in which the weekend proved pivotal.<\/p>\n
Man United played two games in five days over Easter in 1998, the second of which was a damaging 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n
The draw put United seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who had four games in hand. The Gunners capitalised to claim top spot.<\/p>\n
Arsenal\u2019s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in 2008 scuppered their hopes of emerging victorious in a three-way title race involving Man United.<\/p>\n
United (2010) and Arsenal (2023) are amongst the other title-chasing teams that suffered damaging results over the Easter weekend.<\/p>\n
However, in each of the aforementioned cases, none of the teams involved had to contend with the overly packed Easter schedules of yesteryear.<\/p>\n
Opponents of reintroducing such jeopardy will argue that player wellbeing would be compromised if the Premier League headed down that route.<\/p>\n
However, given the size of the squads at their disposal, that argument has little merit.<\/p>\n
Some traditions are worth preserving<\/h3>\n
The late-season Easter showdown is an English football tradition which should have been preserved.<\/p>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/footballtoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/aston-villa-v-brentford-fc-premier-league-300x212.jpg\")
<\/div>\nSky Sports must take some responsibility for its removal from the calendar, having placed greater importance on the final weekend of the season.<\/p>\n
They are unquestionably missing a trick. Three rounds of fixtures packed into four days over a holiday weekend would be a dream development for broadcasters.<\/p>\n
While players and managers would no doubt bleat about the strain it would place on them, traditionalists would be in their element.<\/p>\n
Easter weekend 2026 will be a key step in determining this season\u2019s FA Cup winners, with a new champion set to be crowned after Crystal Palace\u2019s early exit.<\/p>\n
However, the FA Cup does not belong on Easter weekend. Some traditions are worth preserving \u2013 a packed Easter schedule in the top flight is one of them.<\/p>\n
Top football stories<\/h3>\nFootball Today features<\/h3>\nWhat to watch<\/h3>\n
What to watch<\/h3>\n
The battle to qualify for the Championship play-offs continues apace today. Hull City, Wrexham and Derby County all face tricky away games \u2013 squeaky bum time is here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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