FA Community Shield Preview, Predictions & Betting Tips

The Football Association Community Shield (formerly known as the Charity Shield) is an annual football match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous English Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup . 

If the Premier League champions also emerged the FA Cup winners then the league runners-up will step in. The fixture is recognised as a competitive super cup by the Football Association.

Organised by the FA, proceeds from the game are distributed to community-based initiatives and charities around the country. Revenue from the gate receipts and match program sales is distributed to the 124 clubs who competed in The FA Cup from the First Round onwards, while the remainder is distributed to the FA's national charity partners. 

The competition format has varied over the years, with the 1913 edition contested between Amateurs and Professionals, while in 1921 the Shield was contested between the Football League and FA Cup winners for the first time. 

The format continued to vary in the 1920s, usually along the lines of Amateurs against Professionals. However, in 1930, the format between the Football League winner and FA Cup winner returned, and with a few exceptions, this format has remained to the present day. 

The match was moved to the start of the season from 1959. And In 1974 the then FA secretary, Ted Croker, created the current format with the match being played at Wembley Stadium, and being contested by the reigning League and FA Cup holders.

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 1993.

In 2002, the Charity Commission found that the Football Association 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. 

Arsenal were the first winners of the renamed Community Shield with a 1–0 victory over Liverpool. They current holders are Manchester City who claimed their fifth trophy after Pep Guardiola's side defeated Chelsea at Wembley in 2018.