About FA Community Shield

The FA Community Shield is an annual football match in England that traditionally opens the new season. It is contested between the winners of the previous season’s Premier League and the holders of the FA Cup. If one team wins both competitions, they face the league runners-up instead. The match is usually played at Wembley Stadium and is considered a ceremonial “curtain-raiser” for the English football calendar.

The competition was first introduced in 1908 as the Charity Shield, replacing the earlier Sheriff of London Charity Shield. Initially, it featured different formats, such as matches between professional and amateur teams, before settling into its modern structure in 1921. In 2002, it was renamed the Community Shield to better reflect its charitable purpose and community focus. Over more than a century, it has become a regular and recognizable fixture in English football.

The competition was first introduced in 1908 as the Charity Shield, replacing the earlier Sheriff of London Charity Shield. Initially, it featured different formats, such as matches between professional and amateur teams, before settling into its modern structure in 1921. In 2002, it was renamed the Community Shield to better reflect its charitable purpose and community focus. Over more than a century, it has become a regular and recognizable fixture in English football.