Global InformationList of FA Community Shield matches information
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield, up to and including the 2001 edition) is an annual association football match organised by the Football Association and presently contested between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. In the event where a club achieves the domestic double, it goes on to face the league runners-up instead.[1] The match is played every August, serving as England's super cup equivalent, and is regarded as the "curtain-raiser" and the first competitive game of each top-flight English football season.[2][3][4] Since 1974, all but seven of the matches have been held at either the original or new Wembley stadiums.[A] Stamford Bridge, which was the venue where the inaugural Charity Shield was played in 1908, has hosted the second-most finals with 11.[7][8] The current winners are Arsenal, who defeated Manchester City 4–1 on penalties following a 1–1 draw in the 2023 fixture.[9]
The format of the competition has been modified many times over the years. The game was initially contested between the champions of the Football League and Southern Football League from its inception until 1912, after which both professional and amateurs players participated.[10] Following a six-year suspension due to the First World War, the competition resumed in 1920 with a game between the champions of the Football League First and Second Divisions.[11] The following year saw the match arrangement changed again to become a contest between the Football League champions and the winners of the FA Cup,[12] switching several more times between the amateur/professional and league champion/FA Cup winners matches during the 1920s. From 1930 onwards, it settled to a standard fixture between the FA Cup winners and Football League champions,[13] except for three occasions. In 1950, the England World Cup squad played the England team who toured Canada that summer,[14] while double-winning Tottenham Hotspur played an "F.A. Selected XI" in 1961 that was described by The Times as being an "England team masquerading".[15] A decade later, in 1971, Arsenal won the double and opted against contesting the Shield in favour of playing in more profitable friendlies in Europe; Leicester City – the champions of the Second Division – took their place.[16]
Manchester United hold the record for the most victories, winning the competition 21 times since its inception.[B][17] They also hold the distinction of having the most appearances (30) and most losses (9). Although the Shield has had its share of historical moments – from Eric Cantona's first career hat-trick in 1992[18] to Manchester United's first loss of 1999 ending a streak of 33 consecutive games without a defeat,[19] it has been dismissed by some as a ceremonial friendly that is not on par with other domestic honours in terms of prestige.[16][20][21] Winning the Shield has proven to be an unreliable indicator of success in the forthcoming season.[1][20] Since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, only eight clubs that won the Shield proceeded to become league champions in the same season, the last being Manchester City in 2018–19.[20] Indeed, Gianluca Vialli was sacked only weeks after guiding Chelsea to the victory in the 2000 match, following a lacklustre start to the season.[22]
Prior to the 2008 FA Community Shield, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson summarised his opinion of the competition: "The Community Shield is a prestigious match but I have used players in it who were not quite fit... it's always a game we never quite use as a do or die thing; we use it as a barometer for fitness".[23][24] Others, however, continue to recognise the status of the match as the first official game and trophy of the domestic season.[25][26][27] Ahead of the 2016 FA Community Shield against Manchester United, Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri asked, "Why do you say this question, a friendly? When is the Community Shield a friendly? Of course we will be at the maximum and Manchester United will be at their maximum. The two teams want to win. I am very excited."[3] The following year, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte affirmed the significance of the cup, stating "It is not a friendly game. It is an official game and there is a trophy so for us it must be important" ahead of his side's clash with Arsenal, the team that had denied his club the double the previous season.[28] Likewise in 2018, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola referred to his side's clash with Chelsea in the competition as "the first final" of the season.[29]
- ^ a b Warren, Dan (5 August 2005). "Beware winning Community Shield". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ "Leeds United England's 12th biggest club, according to Sky Sports study". Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Community Shield will not be a friendly game – Leicester's Claudio Ranieri". ESPN FC. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ "Match Preview: 2016 FA Community Shield". Manchester United. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ Stone, Simon (15 February 2011). "FA must find new venue for 2012 Community Shield". The Independent. London. Press Association. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
olympicswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Community Shield quiz". BBC Sport. BBC. August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "Community Shield gallery". ChelseaFC.com. Chelsea FC. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2023BBCwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
times1913was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "F.A. Charity Cup: Defeat of Tottenham Hotspur". The Times. 17 May 1920. p. 6.
- ^ "F.A. Charity Shield: Burnley Beaten at Tottenham". The Times. 17 May 1921. p. 13.
- ^ "F.A. Charity Shield". The Times. 17 July 1930. p. 7.
- ^ "F.A. Charity Shield Match". The Times. 2 September 1950. p. 4.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
times1961was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Liew, Jonathan (8 August 2014). "Community Shield is generally contested by good teams who often win more things – but does it mean anything?". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
MU21was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Lovejoy, Joe (9 August 1992). "Cantona lifts the occasion: Champions flourish on French flair in a Wembley spectacle which outshone its modest promise". The Independent. London. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Bradley, Mark (2 August 1999). "Sweet Charity for Gunners as Parlour's Strike Settles Issue; Arsenal 2 Manchester United 1". Birmingham Post. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Sheen, Tom (3 August 2015). "Arsenal winning the Community Shield doesn't mean much in the title race – just ask Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool". The Independent. London. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ "Brave Tracey has Liverpool fighting all way" (PDF). The Sunday Times. London. 20 August 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Anderson, David (13 August 2001). "Football: FA Charity Shield – Ref Returns to Haunt Fergie's Red Devils; Liverpool 2 Man United 1". The News Letter. Belfast. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017. (subscription required)
- ^ "Relaxed Manchester United to take on Portsmouth at Wembley". 9 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
- ^ "Neville And Carrick To Feature in Community Shield". goal.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ Banks, Tony (3 August 2015). "Chelsea's John Terry rues Community Shield defeat to Arsenal". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ Tweedale, Alistair (31 July 2015). "Community Shield 2015: Why winning would give Chelsea or Arsenal an early edge in Premier League title race". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ "After Arsenal's win, how often do Community/Charity Shield winners win the Premier League?". City A.M. 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ "Antonio Conte: Chelsea players 'very tired' following preseason tour of Asia". Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ^ Brenner, Steve (28 July 2018). "Pep Guardiola says Man City's World Cup players cut short holidays to prepare for new season". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
Cite error: There are <ref group=upper-alpha> tags or {{efn-ua}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=upper-alpha}} template or {{notelist-ua}} template (see the help page).