A deepdive in the history of the Community Shield

On August 9 or 10, 2025, Liverpool and Crystal Palace will face each other in the annual FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. This prestigious match, which traditionally kicks off the new football season, brings together the Premier League champion and FA Cup winner in what is often considered England's Super Cup.

Liverpool's path to the Community Shield

Liverpool qualified for the Community Shield by winning the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season. This will be Liverpool's first Community Shield appearance in three years, since their 3-1 victory over Manchester City at the King Power Stadium in 2022. The Reds have an impressive history in this fixture. Liverpool has won the trophy 16 times in their history, whether it was called the Charity Shield or Community Shield. A victory over Crystal Palace in August would put them level with Arsenal in second place on the all-time winners' list, just four wins behind record holders Manchester United, who have won the trophy 21 times.

Crystal Palace's historic achievement

Crystal Palace made history by qualifying for the Community Shield for the first time ever. That honor fell to Crystal Palace after they defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, with a 1-0 victory at Wembley. Eberechi Eze's first-half goal settled the final, meaning Pep Guardiola's side ended the 2024/25 season trophyless. For Crystal Palace, this victory represented their first major honor ever, and now they have the chance to add another trophy to their cabinet in their very first Community Shield appearance.

The Rich History of the Community Shield

The Community Shield evolved from the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, which was introduced in 1898 as a match between professionals and amateurs. This early version reflected the tradition of 'gentlemen versus players' that was popular in English football at the time. The Football Association Charity Shield, as it was then known, was designed to replace the Sheriff of London Charity Shield after the leading amateur clubs fell out with the FA. The new format would have the Football League First Division champions play against the Southern League champions.

The first edition

The first match was in 1908 between Manchester United (the First Division champions) and Queens Park Rangers (the Southern League champions). The match was drawn 1-1, so the game was replayed when Manchester United won 4-0. This is the only Charity Shield game to ever go to a replay. Both games were played at Stamford Bridge.

Format changes through the years

The format of the match has undergone various changes over the years:

• In 1913 the Shield was contested between Amateurs and Professionals XIs, while in 1921 the Shield was contested between the Football League and FA Cup winners
• In 1930, the match returned to being contested by the winners of the Football League and the FA Cup, and with a few exceptions, that format has remained to the present day
• Notable exceptions include the 1950 Shield, which involved the England World Cup team against an FA team that had toured Canada that summer, and the 1961 Shield, when Tottenham Hotspur became the first team of the 20th century to win the Double, and so played a Football Association XI

Modern era and name change

With the formation of a new top league, the FA Premier League, the Shield became a showcase match between the Premier League and FA Cup winners from the 1993 competition onwards.

A significant change came in 2002: In 2002, the Charity Commission found that the Football Association had failed to meet its legal obligations under charity law, by failing to specify what money from ticket sales went to charity, and delaying payments to the charities nominated. As a result, the competition was renamed the Community Shield.

Wembley Stadium

In 1974, FA Secretary Ted Croker proposed that "The FA Charity Shield" should be played at Wembley as a curtain-raiser to the new season. The match would feature the reigning League champions and FA Cup holders.

Prior to 1974, with the Shield a less prestigious fixture, the match was played at various club grounds and often involved teams who had won nothing at all.

Interesting Facts and Records

Historic moments

• In 1967, Tottenham goalkeeper Pat Jennings scored a goal from his own penalty area against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Alex Stepney was the embarrassed keeper at the other end and the match finished 3-3
• The Shield was taken to Wembley in 1974 and 67,000 saw Liverpool beat Leeds 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. On a hot afternoon when tempers became frayed, Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan were sent off

Modern statistics

• 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
• A crowd of 63,317 saw Arsenal beat Manchester United at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in August 2004. The match was broadcast right across the globe, with a potential worldwide TV audience of 270 million

Charitable aspect

The Community Shield retains its charitable character from its early days. Organized by the FA, proceeds from the game are distributed to community initiatives and charities around the country. Revenue from the gate receipts and match programme sales is distributed to the 124 clubs who competed in the FA Cup from the first round onwards, for onward distribution to charities and projects of their choice.

Looking ahead to the 2025 match

A date has yet to be confirmed for when the Community Shield will take place, but it will likely be on the weekend before the start of the Premier League, which begins on August 16. Liverpool's trip to Wembley will probably be staged on August 9 or 10.

For Liverpool, this is a chance to further extend their impressive Community Shield record and start their season as they finished the previous one - as champions. For Crystal Palace, this match represents the opportunity to follow their historic FA Cup victory with another trophy, which would be a dream start to what promises to be an exciting season.

2025 Community Shield tickets

The 2025 Community Shield promises to be a fascinating encounter between an established powerhouse and an ambitious underdog. Liverpool, with their rich history in this fixture, will be looking to claim their 17th Community Shield title, while Crystal Palace hopes to continue their fairytale season with their first Community Shield victory.

For supporters wanting to witness this historic match live, through Community Shield tickets are available.