Only 85 days on from our last visit ,Crystal Palace will return to Wembley this weekend for the 2025 Community Shield.
On Sunday, 10th August (15:00 BST), Oliver Glasner’s FA Cup-winning Eagles will take on Liverpool at the national stadium for the traditional curtain-raiser of the new English football season.
It will be Palace’s first ever appearance in the annual fixture, which has ran – in one form or another – since 1908.
But what’s the tradition behind the competition? Let’s find out…
The very first iteration of the Charity Shield, the 'Sheriff of London's Charity Shield' – which pitted actually bore its roots at our original home.
According to the amateur club's historian Peter Manning: "The Crystal Palace played host to the inaugural Sheriff of London’s Charity Shield Match, which was to become an annual event, on 19th March 1898.
"The trophy, standing at over six feet tall and reputed to be the largest football trophy ever competed for, had been donated by Sir Thomas Dewar of the Scotch whisky family, who was then Sheriff of London. His idea was for a charity match to be played between the best professional team and the best amateur team of the day, with the proceeds going to hospitals and charities.
"The first Charity Shield match was a ground-breaking event. The best amateur team of the day were the Corinthians and the match aroused a great deal of interest ‘due to the fact that the Corinthians Club, which undoubtedly has the strongest amateur team in existence, has never before competed for a prize of any description.
"'The promise of being opposed by presumably the best professional club of the year, with the knowledge that the proceeds will be devoted to charity, however, induced them to break a rule they have observed for eighteen years, and accordingly they will play the Sheffield United Club – the League leaders – for the honour of being the first holders of the handsome shield.'
"The amateurs more than held their own against the leading professionals, holding them to 0-0 draw in front of 20,000 people at the Palace and holding them again, 1-1, in a replay to share the trophy for the first year."
The trophy was sold at auction to an anonymous American buyer in the 1990's and, despite reputed requests to loan it back for exhibitions, it has never been returned to this country.
Officially the first FA Charity Shield game – an evolution of the Sheriff of London's Charity Shield – was first played in 1908, although it was very different from the modern-day meeting that we recognise today.
The official first FA Charity Shield saw the champions of England, Manchester United, who had just won the first of their 20 league titles, face Southern League Champions QPR. United prevailed 4-0 in a replay, although that was the only time in history a replay was used, with the shield ‘shared’ in subsequent years, then later settled via extra-time and penalties if a draw took place.
The game in its modern format can be traced back to the 1974 fixture. In the preceding years, the Shield lacked the prestige it would later attract.
Prior to this edition teams often declined the opportunity to participate. Then FA Secretary Ted Croker decided to ensure the match would require to between the league champions and the FA Cup holders, or the league runners-up if a team won the double – and, crucially, to consistently be held at Wembley Stadium.
One of the most memorable Shield games in history followed in the very first edition of the new era.
Palace’s 2025 opponents Liverpool were involved, as reigning FA Cup holders, taking on league title winners Leeds United. 67,000 fans saw the Reds win a dramatic penalty shootout, with the game best remembered for Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan both being sent off.
The move to Wembley and increased media coverage made the Charity Shield a prestigious fixture in the English football calendar.
As you might expect, the winning team is presented with an impressive shield silverware.
Known as the Charity Shield until 2002, the FA renamed the trophy in its current guise of the Community Shield.
As the exact money from ticket sales went to charity was not specified – the name was switched to Community Shield, reflecting that funds raised by the event would be distributed to community charities and initiatives in the UK.
Manchester City are the current holders of the Community Shield after defeating Manchester United in the 2024 fixture, 7-6 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
The last time the FA Cup holders went on to win the Community Shield came in 2022, when Liverpool defeated Manchester City, with the game played at the King Power Stadium due to Wembley being used for Euro 2022.
The 2025 fixture will be the 104th holding of the Community Shield – since 1908 it only took hiatuses during both world wars and is firmly a staple of the calendar.
It will be Crystal Palace’s 13th visit to Wembley (14 if you include the Football League Centenary Tournament) in club history and the first time we will face Liverpool at the national stadium.
The Reds have won the Community Shield on 16 previous occasions, although five of these were shared victories.
For the third time in just a few months Wembley will be turned red and blue, as Palace go in search of another honour.
Remember the 2025 Community Shield will be broadcast live and exclusively in the UK on TNT Sports. Ticketing information will follow in due course.
Stay tuned to cpfc.co.uk, the Official App and across our social media channels for further announcements surrounding the match.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
