BLACKBURN Rovers win 8-2 away from home to climb to the summit of the top-flight table while Burnley demolish Manchester United 6-1 at Turf Moor.

A Christmas miracle?

Not if you can recall the staggering set of results on Boxing Day, 1963 when 66 goals were scored across the 10 old first division matches.

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Both Rovers and Burnley were challenging at the top end of the table and Rovers celebrated Christmas in style with a thumping 8-2 away win at West Ham United.

The result saw Jack Marshall's side overhaul Tottenham and go top of the table.

Fred Pickering and Andy McEvoy both scored hat-tricks for rampant Rovers with Bryan Douglas and Mike Ferguson also on target.

Rovers’ performance was so impressive that they were given a standing ovation as they left the field while West Ham boss Ron Greenwood, who would go on to manage England at the 1982 World Cup, was said to have told his players after the match that Rovers’ display was the blueprint of how to play attacking football.

Lancashire Telegraph:

They must have listened as the remarkably, the two sides met again at Ewood Park two days later with the Hammers winning 3-1 in front of 28,990 at Ewood Park.

Burnley were also in fine form as they hit United for six in front of 35,764 at Turf Moor.

The Clarets were 2-1 up against a United side featuring Bobby Charlton up at the break after an Andy Lochhead brace.

But Harry Potts' side cut loose in the second half with Lochhead adding two more while Willie Morgan, who went onto play for United, also notched a double.

The visitors' strike came from David Herd while Pat Crerand saw red 13 minutes from time with the score at 4-1.

The victory for the Clarets saw them climb to seventh in the table, six points behind leaders Rovers.

But neither side ended the campaign in the top six as Rovers, who picked up only 12 more points (it was two for a win remember) between their Hammers success and the end of the season, finished in seventh place as Liverpool won the title.

Burnley ended the campaign in ninth, two points behind their East Lancashire rivals.