Manchester United and City will compete for the Community Shield, but why is the traditional season-opening match named after that?
The winner of the FA Cup and Premier League from the previous season will face each other in the Manchester derby, with league champions City facing cup winners United.
The team that finished second in the Premier League will get the second position in the match if the same team wins both trophies, as was the case with City in the 2022–2023 season.
It was Arsenal who won the Community Shield last season, their first since 2020 victory over City.
Originally known as “The Sheriff of London Charity Shield,” the competition pitted the best amateur and professional teams against one another back in 1898.
After a disagreement between amateur clubs and the FA, it changed its name to the Football Association Charity Shield, and it remained that way until 2002.
The competition has undergone several configurations throughout the years. However, it has primarily pitted the FA Cup winners against the Football League First Division and, subsequently, the Premier League winners.
Why is Community Shield organized?
The idea behind the match was, you may have guessed, to raise money for different organisations, many of which were nominated by the participating clubs.
The 124 clubs that competed in the FA Cup from the first round received the money, which they subsequently donated to charities and projects.
Although the FA was compelled to rename the Charity Shield in 2002, the idea remains the same.
The reason officially given for this was an attempt to ‘reflect the contribution made by the 250,000 volunteers who support the amateur game in England’.
Additionally, the FA inked a £30 million contract with McDonald’s, which will serve as the game’s first title sponsor.
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However, it was later discovered that the FA had violated UK charity law by failing to disclose to ticket buyers the precise way in which their donations would assist charities, which was the real cause for the name change.
Even yet, the game continues to be a major source of support for local communities and organisations. This weekend, City and United will compete to raise the trophy at Wembley.
