Since 1908, the Community Shield, formerly known as the Charity Shield, has been a one-match curtain-raiser to the new English soccer season. The match is traditionally played at Wembley Stadium.

The FA considers the Community Shield an official new season teaser in English football, and the match is played as the first game of the new English season between the EPL and FA Cup champions. However its status as a "major title" has been disputed by some football personalities and fans.

Betting on the Community Shield

This football competition is played in England every year between the team that lifted the FA Cup and the team that finished top of the Premier League.

The clubs eligible to play in the match will be the defending champions of The Football Association Challenge Cup (all FA Cup bets) and the previous season's champion club of The Football Association Premier League. If the said champion club is also the current winner of the FA Cup, the runners-up from the previous season of the said champion club will be the designated opponents.

Recommended Community Shield bets

At the end of the match, if the scores of each participating team are tied, extra time will not be played. Instead, teams will engage in a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner, following the procedures adopted by the International Football Association Board.

A recommended bet on the Community Shield is to bet on the winner of the match since, after the end of regulation time plus possibly the penalty shoot-out, one team will lift the trophy. There can only be one winner, and it is difficult to know the form of the players who are still in pre-season preparation. It is a unique cup match that rewards the form of the moment rather than the marathon of a season's worth of games and betting on who will be the winner of the Premier League.

First official match of the season in England

The Community Shield is the first official match of the English football season. Therefore, it is considered a competitive match and not a pre-season friendly, although it is not a frantic, must-win game as players are careful not to get injured ahead of the new season. Before the Premier League season, most teams usually play pre-season friendlies to improve their fitness and validate new playing patterns.

Historically, the three teams that have won this trophy most often are Manchester United, the only team with more than 20 titles, followed by Arsenal and Liverpool, who have more than 15 Community Shields. All other English teams have less than ten wins. Make football bets with bwin.