Excitement in the Dons camp for festive football

Festive football is the time of year every fan looks to when the fixture calendar is revealed, and it’s where the players look too.

Playing over the Christmas period is a tradition for the players, while watching games on Boxing Day is certainly a tradition in the English game amongst the supporters.

Like last year, Covid has threatened to disrupt the usually jovial spirits but Warren O’Hora hopes MK Dons’ trip to Lincoln City can put smiles on some faces.

He said: “It's an uncertain time but Boxing Day is one of the biggest days for football, and everyone is looking forward to it - especially us! It's a special time for everyone, and Christmas is the best time of year in my opinion so let's play some football, and fingers crossed we can continue to do that.”

Dons head coach Liam Manning enjoyed Christmas off last season while managing in Belgium, and admitted he enjoyed the winter break but hopes the festive games will be positive for his side.

He said: “Last year, I had a winter break in Belgium so I was off for a couple of weeks which my wife was delighted about! And it's one of the things I miss about being abroad.

“But you really see the togetherness over this period. It brings an extra bit to games. Without being negative about it though, we cannot get carried away with it and we have to focus on the next game, making sure we're at our highest level to get points from the game.”