London's Festive Season – A Saga of Soccer, Championship Darts & Appendicitis PART I - Bursting the Holiday Itinerary

Ken Smoller
3 days ago
13 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Photos and Text by Ken Smoller, @stadiumvagabond

“You can't always get what you want,

But if you try sometime, you'll find

You get what you need”

Mick Jagger - July 4, 1969

As Sir Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones once famously crooned, “you can’t always get what you want.” The classic rock song was released by British musical royalty on July 4th, 1969, the 193rd anniversary of the American colonists’ declaration of independence from the royal yoke of King George III. That acrimony and mistrust has faded and, now, the “Colonists” and the Brits enjoy a “special relationship”. That bond is underscored by over 3.5 million Americans visiting London each year, usually without incident. During MY American family’s recent holiday trip across the pond, we endured a Griswold-level of drama that nearly blew our London itinerary to bits. While our European vacation included misfortunes that frustrated our “wants”, we found some unexpected “needs” that bound our family together. In the end, those needs created a journey that none of us will soon forget, including an unimaginable championship sporting event.

*Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones iconic song, “You Can’t Always Get What you Want” was an apt theme song for our London holiday.*

*The British Royals are just part of the attraction for visitors to London.*

*London dresses up to celebrate the Festive Period*

The saga began in late summer when my wife, Jaime, found a “deal” on plane tickets to London during the winter holidays, colorfully called the “Festive Period” in the UK. We planned on soaking in traditional British holiday cheer, seeing a live show and attending as much soccer/football as possible. While most footballing countries take a holiday break, the English leagues add extra matches to the fixture calendar in dark days of late December. As a bonus for sports-loving travelers like us, London boasts more football stadiums than almost any other city in the world, with a dozen professional clubs in Greater London. As a result, football fans have lots of options for matches, provided they can navigate the complicated ticketing process.

Some of Greater London's current football stadiums, arranged left to right, top to bottom. Captions follow the same order:

London Stadium (circa 2019) – Home of West Ham United, the 2012 Olympics, and the Major League Baseball London Series
Loftus Road Stadium (circa 2003) – Home of Queens Park Rangers
Vicarage Road Stadium (circa 2019) – Home of Watford F.C., located in suburban Watford near the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour
Craven Cottage (circa 2004) – Home of Fulham F.C.
Emirates Stadium (circa 2011) – Home of Arsenal F.C.
The Valley (circa 2003) – Home of Charlton Athletic F.C.
The Den (circa 2004) – Home of Millwall F.C.
Gtech Community Stadium (circa 2024) – Home of Brentford F.C.

Our family trips rarely include significant relaxation time and the London itinerary would be no different. Within hours of landing at Heathrow, we dumped our bags at our South Kensington Airbnb and headed towards the 350 acre (142 hectare) Hyde Park. Much to the delight of our teenage sons, Charlie (13) and Simon (15), the massive urban greenspace hosts an annual Winter Wonderland festival, featuring loads of rides, ice slides, games, holiday food, German-style beer halls and more. It was a perfect way to ward off jet lag after our overnight flight.

*Winter Wonderland attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors during the holidays.*

*Winter Wonderland and the London skyline as viewed from the top of a Ferris wheel.*

*There are rides for every age and taste at Winter Wonderland.*

While most of the Western World shuts down for Christmas day, major capital cities like London present a distinctive dichotomy. The multicultural melting pot includes millions of Londoners who do not celebrate the Yuletide holiday. As a result, there are myriad restaurants from non-Western cultures that remain open. There is no shortage of tasty treats from all over the world to satisfy any palette. In our case, we replicated what our family typically does on Christmas back in Boston, heading to London’s Chinatown for our Xmas meal.

*Our family has an annual tradition of getting dim sum in Chinatown on Xmas in Boston. The final photo is from London’s Chinatown.*

Christmas scenes in Chinatown and beyond, arranged left to right, top to bottom. Captions follow the same order as images.

Chinatown near Soho, jammed with people on Xmas morning.
Santa celebrating Xmas with Dim Sum in Chinatown.
Special treats are plentiful on Xmas.
Christmas menus sometimes offer limited options at higher prices.
Special Xmas sweets at a Chinatown bakery.
The BT Tower rising above Chinatown.
Indian and other South Asian restaurants are plentiful and provide great dining options on Christmas. Our family indulged in the excellent cuisine of Tayyabs in the Whitechapel neighborhood.

Most of London’s shops, theaters and museums are closed on Christmas day, but the city comes to polyglot life, nonetheless. Despite the entire public transport system and the National Rail shutting down of December 25, the London is paradoxically packed. The sidewalks buzz with pedestrians who cannot traverse London via the Tube on the holiday. Also, Ubers and taxis are plentiful. Those hired cars share the roadways with a surge of private cars taking advantage of the holiday waiver of the dreaded congestion surcharge fee.

*London’s West End theaters are dark on Xmas.*

*The entire Tube underground system is locked down for Christmas*

*Unlike most days, the Tube is not a travel option on Xmas.*

*Given the lack of public transport, the roads were jammed with Ubers, taxis and private cars on the holiday.*

Despite the dark skies and omnipresent London fog obscuring the sun, the city still sparkles during the holidays. Londoners have outsmarted mother nature by mastering festive lighting. The crooked roads are decorated with twinkling bulbs that are as varied as the people walking the streets of the former Roman city. The early “sunsets” allow for ample time each evening to stroll the shopping districts of Regent Street and Carnaby Street, not to mention checking out countless other postcard-worthy landmarks. Given how grey the days are in London in December, shutterbugs are rewarded by saving their snaps for London’s glowing evenings. Streetlights bounce off the fog, creating an otherworldly ambience.

*Leadenhall Market, which served as the exterior for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer’s Stone” film.*

After gorging on Asian culinary treats all Christmas day, our family returned to our rented flat to celebrate the first night of Chanukah. The “Festival of Lights” commemorates certain miracles that occurred millennia ago, but we soon experienced our own minor miracle worthy of a twisted Hallmark movie. After the celebratory day, we went to bed early to rest up for a packed schedule over the next few days. As my family has begrudgingly accepted over the years, dad’s itineraries typically include scant “planned spontaneity”. Instead, we planned to embrace the British Boxing Day tradition of attending a football match and continuing our festive celebrations with a big post-match dinner.

*In a rare calendar convergence, the first night of Chanukah coincided with Christmas in 2024.*

*Trafalgar Square celebrating both Christmas and Chanukah.*

“I went down to the Chelsea drugstore To get your prescription filled I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy And, man, did he look pretty ill We decided that we would have a soda My favorite flavor, cherry red.”

The next morning, our family woke to an unwelcome surprise. Thirteen year-old Charlie reported EXTREME belly pains and wailed inconsolably. We originally assumed he had overindulged in Szechuan shrimp or chicken tikka masala, but something did not seem quite right. Given that it was Boxing Day, many businesses remained closed and my wife struggled to find a working pharmacist. Rather than heading to a “Chelsea drugstore” to get a prescription filled, as described in our thematic Rolling Stones song, my wife took my son to a Chelsea hospital and found the opposite of “Mr. Jimmy” sipping a cherry red soda.

Given that Boxing Day is a holiday in the UK, there were few options for medical consultation for our son’s surging bellyache.

The streets of London remained quiet on Boxing Day morning.

We had naively thought Charlie would have a quickie doctor visit, get some medicine and soon reconnect with us mid-itinerary. We took it as a positive omen that the hospital was mere steps from our scheduled afternoon Chelsea football match. Buoyed by false optimism, my other son, Simon, and I kept calm and carried on with the plans. As my wife and I feverishly texted our respective updates, we tried to make the best of the situation and walked to Stamford Bridge stadium. At the time, we ignorantly had no idea Charlie’s medical situation was so precarious.

*Fans can find loads of souvenir stands and pubs on the, ironically named, Fulham Road walk to Stamford Bridge.*

*The streets around Stamford Bridge come to life on matchday.*

Stamford Bridge has been Chelsea Football Club’s home since 1905, although it debuted as London Athletic Club’s home in 1877. It has evolved substantially since its early days, and even looks dramatically different from my first visit to photograph the ground in 1996. It was once a rickety open bowl, with terraced stands holding over 80,000. Now, it’s an enclosed stadium of 40,173 seats, loaded with luxury amenities. Modern football has changed significantly from the harrowing hooligan history of the 1970s and 80s. Today, the big clubs’ stadia feature posh seating, bursting megastores, diverse food offering and a more family-friendly atmosphere.

*Stamford Bridge has evolved substantially since it opened in 1877, with its original Shed Wall still visible.*

*Stamford Bridge in 1996 as the stadium was in the process of modernization.*

*Glitzy bar area in the Westview Terrace section of Stamford Bridge.*

Given its location in fashionable Chelsea, and being the closest ground to London’s tourist center, Stamford Bridge attracts a disproportionate number of overseas visitors. In our Westview Terrace section, we overheard accents from the States, Australia, Asia and many other faraway places. As a result of the influx of visiting fans gravitating to the Premier League, the crowds at big trendy clubs like Chelsea include a mixture of diehard supporters and curious interlopers. In contrast, smaller teams from the bottom end of the Premier league table, or lower divisions, boast a more “authentic” matchday experience. The following stadiums are just a few examples across England.

*Villa Park, Birmingham, UK circa 2019 - Home of Aston Villa F.C.*

*Meadow Lane Stadium, Nottingham circa 2011 – Home of Notts County FC, the world’s oldest professional football club (1862)*

*Bramall Lane, Sheffield circa 2019 – Home of Sheffield United FC*

Fratton Park, Portsmouth, UK circa 2004 - Home of Portsmouth F.C. (known as Pompey)

Despite our obvious concern about Charlie’s stomach pains (Note: we still thought the issue was something minor at the time; we are NOT monsters), Simon and I succumbed to the lure of the big Boxing Day match. The West London Derby between Chelsea and neighboring Fulham FC was too compelling to avert our eyes. For the uninitiated, a “derby” match consists of local and/or traditional rivals. Given that Fulham’s Craven Cottage is just 1.6 miles from Chelsea’s stadium, their contests qualify as a true derby, filled with enmity and resentment. Further, Chelsea received a huge infusion of cash during the last few decades of foreign wealthy ownership (first Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, and now American venture capitalist, Todd Boehly). Partially resulting from the Blues’ financial upper hand, the Cottagers of Fulham had not won at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge since 1979.

*The menu at Stamford Bridge featured holiday dining options.*

*Stamford Bridge at kickoff on Boxing Day. Sadly, only half of our family was in attendance.*

Despite Fulham’s underdog status, they shocked their wealthier neighbor by coming from behind to tie the match on a Harry Wilson 82nd minute goal and winning on a Rodrigo Muniz goal in the 5th minute of stoppage time. After the late comeback, a deafening silence washed over most of Stamford Bridge. Only the delirious cheering from the visiting Cottagers, assembled in the bottom corner of Shed End, pierced the somber mood. The Fulham faithful gleefully mocked the home fans by singing, “it sounds like a library, it sounds like a library.”

*Fulham stormed back from their early deficit to take control of the match late in the second half.*

*Fulham scored twice late to shock their wealthier neighbors.*

Enzo Fernández (left) and Cole Palmer of Chelsea

*Only the Fulham Fans in the Shed End were making noise by the end of the match.*

“And I went down to the demonstration

To get my fair share of abuse

Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration

If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"

Until the second half started, my wife still predicted she and Charlie would soon be sitting next to us at the stadium. The dad in me was hoping the match would be a boring and unremarkable so Charlie would not feel he missed anything. I felt a surge of guilt witnessing such a thrilling match. My guilt rose exponentially when we departed the stadium and learned Charlie would need an emergency appendectomy that night! Although his appendix had not burst, the doctors at the wonderful Chelsea and Westminster Hospital advised prudence and an appendix removal. We were relieved to learn that an appendectomy is a relatively simple procedure, performed laparoscopically. Invoking the Stones again, Charlie NEEDED the surgery to avoid blowing “a fifty-amp fuse” in his belly, despite his WANTING to be back on the holiday trail. We all accepted that Charlie’s health was far more important than any travel plan. Our family grew tighter in our concern for his speedy recovery.

*Until late in the match, we fully expected Charlie and Jaime to join us at Stamford Bridge.*

Unfortunately for football-loving Charlie, he missed an exciting match.

In a testament to the absolute professionalism and warmth of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Charlie’ surgery and recovery became a holiday miracle for our family. The offensive organ was removed and Charlie was in recovery mode even before we fell asleep that night. My wife’s superhero mothering instincts kicked in and she bunked with recovering Charlie at our “second Airbnb”, while Simon and I returned to our half-empty flat. We were comforted that the surgery went smoothly and the doctors predicted a lunchtime release the following day. While we were concerned about potentially dodgy parenting decisions, the doctors assured us that Charlie could return to the travel program with only a few limitations. The patient’s health and mood would dictate our remaining activities. As a result, we collectively revamped our itinerary to balance recovery and our long-anticipated plans.

*After leaving Stamford Bridge, we visited our little “English Patient” at nearby Chelsea and Westminster Hospital before his surgery.*

One of those planned events was the revival of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1980s chemically-fueled fever dream of a musical on roller skates, “Starlight Express”. My wife is a secret Andrew Lloyd Webber-head and was beyond giddy to see the recently opened reimagination of the campy theater classic. As a bonus, the musical was being staged at a purpose-built theater near the iconic Wembley Stadium. We all agreed that Charlie should not push himself to attend the performance, so I swapped hospital parenting duties with my wife so she and lucky Simon could go to the Wembley Theatre. Our family theatregoers were blown away by the show. Perhaps they will start “Musical Theater Vagabond” to tell their story.

*While Charlie recovered from his appendectomy, Jaime and Simon traveled to the Wembley suburb of London for the “Starlight Express” musical.*

*The roller skating stage at the Wembley Theater for “Starlight Express” (photo by Simon Smoller, “Stadium Vagabond Jr.”)*

“New” Wembley Stadium during the 2011 League Cup Final between Arsenal FC and Birmingham FC. The stadium was built on the site of the original Wembley Stadium and opened in 2007) with a capacity of 90,000. The stadium is just down the street from the Wembley Theatre, home of “Starlight Express”.

“Old” Wembley Stadium, the world-famous national stadium of England opened in 1923 and witnessed England's 4-2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final, the 1948 Summer Olympics, the 1985 Live Aid concert and countless more signature events. It was demolished in 2003.

"Ah, you can't always get what you want, no, no, baby

You can't always get what you want, you can't now, now

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You just might find that you

You get what you need, oh yeah

Ah yeah, do that"

Amazingly, Charlie was ahead of schedule on his recovery and was eager to go to our London “home” by lunchtime. After settling Charlie into his bed at our Airbnb, I fetched a princely Chipotle burrito from around the corner. London may take the appendix out of the boy, but you can’t take away American teen food cravings. Much to my surprise, the little American English patient was ready to leave for our most anticipated event of the whole trip. It was no ordinary event. Of course, we had wanted to see football. Sure, we were curious to witness light-up roller skating singers. But, the marquee once-in-lifetime event on our itinerary was…the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace!!

That surprising story will be told in PART II.

But I digress…In addition to the many football grounds all over the map of London mentioned above, there are a few historic stadiums that met the wrecking ball in the last few decades. Here are a few:

*Arsenal Stadium (aka Highbury) circa 2004, Former home of Arsenal FC starting in 1913 and redeveloped as flats in 2010. It’s a great example of historic preservation and adaptive reuse.*

*Boleyn Ground-Upton Park circa 2003, Former home of West Ham United from 1904 and demolished 2016.*

White Hart Lane circa 2002, Former home of Tottenham Hotspur, FC from 1899 before being demolished in 2017 to accommodate the construction of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Spurs played at Wembley Stadium while the construction took place.

These old stadia have disappeared in part because they lacked ancillary amenities that help club owners extract every last shilling out of vacationers’ wallets. Modern stadia can function as mini-amusement parks, offering a slew of add-on’s to the standard stadium tour. For example, Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium, which opened in 2019 as a replacement to White Hart Lane, offers tickets for “The Edge”, a free fall 42 meter descent abseil from the stadium roof; the “Dare Skywalk”, a roof walk 46.8 meters above the pitch; and “F1 Drive” an indoor mini racetrack. Despite their sometimes steep prices, these stadium tours do provide a stadium alternative when the scheduling gods deprive football fans with any good match options.