Boxing Day football you have to love it

Its Boxing Day and it means only one thing to me FOOTBALL and to my American friends Soccer and sorry it just doesn’t have the same ring about it – soccer, it feels dirty. Playing Fulham around this time of years always invokes the memory of that game with no show George Best but then there was Robin Friday.

After the more than disappointing defeat at Bolton (2-0) at the weekend Cardiff, need to get back on track. Yes, there are injuries in the Cardiff squad but still if you are a benchwarmer or a fringe player, you need to take your chances. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock was not overly happy with the referees’ performance who he considered weak.

"With the penalty it's hit his hand and we've no complaints about that - but deliberate handball? Come on!

"You don't get things like that given in a game like this. It's a Championship game! I think you know when it's a penalty and they were really fortunate to get that.

"When you come up against a side like Bolton you need a strong referee and I think he was weak today. I thought some of the challenges were horrendous early doors and I think we've had more bookings than them.

"With Tomlin I took him off at 2-0 and I could see what Henry and Prattley were doing to wind him up and get him sent off, so why not get him off? We'd lost the points, we didn't want to lose a player as well."

When you consider Cardiff have suffered four defeats in the league so far two of whom have been teams scraping around the bottom end of the league table Birmingham and Bolton so Saturday came as no surprise to me we were due a hiccup.

Fulham are the Boxing Day visitors and it could be a bumper crowd for the game with a traditional festive crowd. The Londoners are just above mid table but will surely feel the force of a Cardiff team wanting to wash away the Bolton defeat. Earlier in the season, Cardiff visited Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground where they fought out a draw (1-1) Danny Ward scoring for Cardiff helping them rescue a point and keeping them top of the Championship at the time.

Ward will not feature in the Fulham game as he is out injured but boss Warnock injury list could be decreasing. Striker Kenneth Zohore, who came on as a substitute in the defeat to Bolton after an ankle problem, is hoping to start. Also hoping to play some part in the game are Aron Gunnarsson (ankle) and Craig Bryson (Achilles) could feature after recovering from injury.

Yes Cardiff lost at Bolton but Fulham are coming to the fortress at is Cardiff City Stadium where the Welshman are unbeaten at home in the league and will be looking to extend it. On Friday Cardiff have another home fixture when Preston North End visit the CCS the game is live on Sky Sports.

After the results on Saturday Wolves stretched their lead at the top of the Championship league table by seven points while Cardiff remain in second three points ahead of third place Derby who are level on points with Bristol City.

Boxing Day Fixture that matter

Bristol City v Reading

Cardiff City v Fulham

Millwall v Wolves

Hull City v Derby County