Trophies
FA Community Shield
What is the FA Community Shield?
The FA Community Shield is an annual pre-season match played at Wembley between the winners of the Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup. It was first played 111 years ago in 1908 and was known as the FA Charity Shield until being renamed as the FA Community Shield in 2002. Proceeds from the game are donated by the Football Association to various communities and charities.
Why are Liverpool FC playing in the FA Community Shield in 2019?
Jürgen Klopp's team couldn't have come much closer to winning the Premier League but were pipped to the post by Manchester City FC, who also won the FA Cup by beating Watford FC in the final. Because Pep Guardiola's side won both trophies the Premier League runners-up qualify to play in the FA Community Shield, which means Liverpool FC will be heading down Wembley Way on 4th August.
Has it always been played at Wembley Stadium?
No. It has only been played at Wembley since 1974 with the first-ever contest at the national stadium being between FA Cup winners Liverpool FC and league champions Leeds United FC. It was Bob Paisley's first game as LFC manager and was a feisty encounter with the Reds' Kevin Keegan and Leeds United FC's Billy Bremner sent off for a fracas in a 1-1 draw that LFC went on to win on penalties. Although he had retired during the summer, Bill Shankly still posed with the players and the trophy for the post-match team photo.
Where did the FA Community Shield used to be played?
Our debut in the competition came in 1922 against Huddersfield Town on the neutral territory of Old Trafford, but the Terriers won 1-0. By the time the Reds appeared in it again in the 1960s it was hosted by one of the two clubs involved so for the first and only time the FA Charity Shield was played at Anfield in August 1964 between Liverpool FC and West Ham United FC. Gordon Wallace and Gerry Byrne scored for the Reds, but the game finished 2-2 and the Shield was shared by both clubs for six months each. It was also the day when Bill Shankly made LFC's first-ever substitution with Phil Chisnall coming on for Alf Arrowsmith.
How many times have Liverpool FC won the FA Community Shield?
15 times in total, the joint second-most in the competition's history, although five of those 15 successes have seen the trophy shared as penalty shoot-outs haven't always been used in the FA Community Shield. After sharing with West Ham United FC in 1964 the Reds shared it again with Manchester United FC in 1965 following a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, captain Ron Yeats getting a late equaliser. We also shared it with them in 1977 (after a 0-0 draw) and in 1990 (after a 1-1 draw when John Barnes scored a penalty) with local rivals Everton FC the other club we've been joint holders with after Ian Rush netted an 87th minute equaliser at Wembley in 1986.
What about the other 10 wins?
1966 was special. Liverpool FC beat Everton FC 1-0 at Goodison Park but before kick-off the two captains paraded the League championship trophy and FA Cup while LFC's Roger Hunt and EFC's Ray Wilson showed off the Jules Rimmet Trophy after winning the World Cup with England that summer. John Toshack scored when the Reds beat Southampton FC 1-0 in 1976 and 1-0 was also the scoreline by which Bob Paisley's team defeated West Ham United FC (1980) and Tottenham Hotspur FC (1981) after beating Manchester United FC 3-1 in 1979. A John Aldridge double saw off Wimbledon FC 2-1 in 1988 and Peter Beardsley got the only goal against Arsenal FC in 1989, but Liverpool FC's two most recent FA Community Shield successes came in a different country altogether.
Which country?
Wales. While Wembley was being rebuilt between 1999 and 2007 the FA Community Shield was held in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium. Gerard Houllier's treble winners faced Manchester United FC there in 2001 and won 2-1 with a Gary McAllister penalty and a strike from Michael Owen defeating Sir Alex Ferguson's side. Five years later, in our last FA Community Shield appearance, Rafa Benitez's Reds took on Jose Mourinho's Chelsea FC and recorded another 2-1 success. John Arne Riise's early goal was cancelled out by Andriy Shevchenko, but with 10 minutes to play Peter Crouch popped up at the far post to head home Craig Bellamy's cross.
Have we ever played Manchester City FC in the FA Community Shield before?
No. It will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs in this competition. City have won the trophy on five occasions, most recently in 2018, but European Champions Liverpool FC will be playing in the one-off game for the 22nd time as Jürgen Klopp looks to bring another piece of silverware back to Anfield. It should be quite a game...
